Hamas has flatly rejected Israel’s newest cease-fire proposal, demanding nothing lower than a complete halt to the conflict, a full Israeli army withdrawal from Gaza, and a sweeping prisoner alternate that may mark a turning level within the 18-month battle.
The rejection was confirmed by senior Hamas official Khalil al-Hayya in a televised speech Thursday. “We will not accept partial deals that serve Netanyahu’s political survival,” he stated, doubling down on the group’s stance for a complete settlement.
Hamas’s written response to mediators – Qatar, Egypt, and the U.S. – adopted contemporary Israeli airstrikes that civil protection officers say killed at the least 40 folks, a lot of them ladies and kids, in displaced individuals camps throughout southern Gaza.
The Israeli proposal referred to as for a 45-day cease-fire in alternate for the discharge of 10 residing hostages, 1,231 Palestinian prisoners, and the disarmament of Hamas.
Instead, Hamas desires a whole withdrawal of Israeli troops, the beginning of Gaza’s reconstruction, and a “one-package” deal that secures the discharge of all hostages and prisoners.
A earlier cease-fire brokered in January collapsed in March after Israel resumed bombing, citing Hamas’ refusal to progress to a second section, initially outlined by former U.S. President Joe Biden.
Meanwhile, inside stress on the Israeli authorities is intensifying.
Roughly one-third of Israeli civilian pilots – about 300 in complete – signed a letter urging the federal government to prioritize hostages over continued army operations.
The signatories, from airways together with Arkia and Israir, warned that “every passing day endangers the lives of those held captive.” El Al pilots have been notably absent from the checklist.
Similar appeals got here from tons of of ex-soldiers, army personnel, and cultural figures, amplifying a rising refrain in opposition to the federal government’s conflict technique.
On the diplomatic entrance, Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, talking in Moscow, blamed Israel for breaking the sooner settlement: “Israel did not abide by what was agreed.”
In the embattled southern Gaza metropolis of Khan Younis, two Israeli missiles struck makeshift tents within the Al-Mawasi “safe zone,” killing 16 folks, most of them ladies and kids. Survivors described a fiery blast that consumed neighboring shelters.
“We were sitting peacefully in the tent… then everything was flames,” stated Israa Abu al-Rus, a displaced mom.
In the north, an Israeli strike on a former U.N. college shelter in Jabalia killed six extra, based on Hamas’s civil protection. Israel claimed the goal was a Hamas command heart that had deliberate assaults on civilians.
The Israeli army stated it struck greater than 110 targets in latest days, asserting Hamas continues to make use of civilian infrastructure to defend its operations.
Gaza’s loss of life toll now stands at 51,065, with 1,691 reported killed since Israel relaunched its offensive in mid-March.
Since the conflict started on Oct. 7, 2023, following Hamas’ incursion on southern Israel, which killed 1,218 folks in Israel, Gaza has been beneath a complete blockade.
The humanitarian scenario has since spiraled, with the U.N. warning of catastrophic shortages in meals, drugs, gas, and clear water.
Even assist organizations have come beneath hearth.
The International Committee of the Red Cross stated an explosive hit certainly one of its Gaza bases Wednesday – the second such strike in lower than a month – prompting sharp condemnation.
Israel’s Defense Minister Israel Katz defended the blockade, declaring assist can be withheld “until Hamas is defeated,” prompting Hamas to accuse Israel of “openly committing war crimes.”
Israel now claims it controls 30% of the Gaza Strip, making a buffer zone that the UN says has displaced half 1,000,000 folks in lower than a month.
Source: www.dailysabah.com