Six months after the start of the war, sparked by a bloody attack by the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas on October 7, Israeli military operations continue against the devastated Gaza Strip and on the brink of famine, the UN said. After weeks of negotiations, Hamas is considering a cease-fire proposal this Tuesday.
Hamas is exploring a proposed ceasefire in its war against Israel this Tuesday, freeing hostages in the Gaza Strip and Palestinians returning to the major southern city stunned by the scale of destruction after the Israeli eviction. Six months after the start of the war, sparked by a bloody attack by the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas on October 7, Israeli military operations continue against the devastated Gaza Strip and on the brink of famine, the UN said.
Important information to remember:
- A new three-phase proposal — the first of which is a six-week ceasefire — is currently being studied by Hamas.
- Israel announced on Sunday that it would withdraw its forces from Khan Yunis, without a definitive ceasefire and withdrawal from the entire Gaza Strip.
- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is determined to launch a ground assault on Rafah, what he says is the last stronghold of Hamas in Gaza.
- Emmanuel Macron, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sissi and Jordanian King Abdullah II have warned of the “dangerous consequences” of such an attack.
A three-step proposal
During another session of talks in Cairo, the mediators – Qatar, Egypt and the United States – put on the table a new plan in three phases, the first of which provides for a six-week ceasefire, a Hamas source said on Monday evening. Saying it was “desirous” of an agreement, the movement pointed out in a statement that Israel had “not responded to any of its demands”.
“In spite of this, the leadership of the movement is studying the plan (…) and will inform the mediators of its response,” Hamas said, ahead of Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan for Muslims. In addition to the six-week ceasefire, the proposal calls for the release of 42 hostages in exchange for 800 to 900 Palestinians imprisoned by Israel, 400 to 500 truckloads of food aid per day and the return of residents. According to sources in Hamas, the northern Gaza Strip.
Hamas is demanding a definitive cease-fire, an Israeli withdrawal from all of Gaza and a substantial increase in aid, with delivery by land strictly controlled by Israel, which has been under siege since October 9.
Withdrawal of troops to Khan Yunus
Israel announced on Sunday a firm ceasefire and no withdrawal from the entire Gaza Strip Its troops were withdrawn from Khan Yunis, the largest city in the south of the small territory, reduced to fields of rubble by Israeli bombardment and heavy fighting. He also said 419 aid trucks entered the Gaza Strip on Monday, the highest number he has said since the war began.
Foreign affairs spokesman Majeed al-Ansari told the BBC he was “more optimistic” than a few days ago, but said the talks were not in their final “stretch”. “Homes, schools, hospitals are in ruins. Teachers, doctors, humanitarian workers are being killed. Famine is imminent,” criticized UNICEF chief Catherine Russell.
“Gaza is not Gaza anymore”
In Deir el-Balah (center), some were carried by their parents, including children who were injured overnight at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, AFP images show. A boy is treated by staff as he sits on the floor with a bloody face. Another Palestinian, wounded in the legs, is carried away on a stretcher. On Tuesday, the military announced in a statement that it had destroyed “terrorist infrastructure” in several sectors of Gaza and that “aircraft destroyed a terrorist in Khan Yunis who participated in the October 7 massacre.” He said he was fighting in the center of the territory and “eliminating many terrorists”.
Immediately after Khan announced Israel's withdrawal from Yunus, thousands of displaced people returned to the city a few kilometers to the north to find a devastated landscape. “No more water, no electricity, no pillars, no walls, no doors, nothing. Gaza is no longer Gaza, it's a ruined place,” a woman turned to Khan Yunus, who refused. Give his name. “There is nothing left of the family home. “It's indescribable,” says another, Safa Qandil.
Israel said the tactical withdrawal from Khan Younes would allow troops to prepare “the continuation of their operations in the Rafah area,” a city trapped by Egypt's closed border where nearly 1.5 million Palestinians are huddled together. People.
“Disastrous Suffering”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is determined to begin A ground attack on Rafah, Hamas's last stronghold in Gaza, he said on Sunday: “It will be done – there is a date”. without mentioning it. And the US ally reiterated its opposition to a “massive military invasion of Rafah”. French President Emmanuel Macron, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sissi and Jordanian King Abdullah II also warned of the “dangerous consequences” of such an attack, in an article published in four newspapers, including Le Monde.
They also called for a ceasefire and the release of “all hostages”. Turkey, whose President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is a staunch supporter of the Palestinian cause, has restricted its exports to Israel. The latter condemned the “violation of trade agreements”.
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