Israel confronted rising worldwide strain Tuesday to conform to a ceasefire with Hamas, because it ready for an incursion into the crowded southern Gaza metropolis of Rafah the place greater than one million Palestinians are trapped.
CIA director William Burns met with Mossad chief David Barnea in Cairo for a brand new spherical of talks on a Qatari-brokered plan to briefly halt combating in trade for Hamas releasing hostages.
The two intelligence chiefs have been joined by Qatar’s prime minister and Egyptian officers, Egyptian media reported — two international locations in the course of mediation efforts as ceasefire proposals bounce backwards and forwards between the 2 sides.
A day after Israeli forces rescued two hostages from, the households of the remaining captives made an emotional plea to Barnea and the Israeli delegation forward of the Cairo talks: “Do not return until everyone comes home — the living and the dead”.
The marketing campaign group, Hostages and Missing Families Forum, has been urging the Israeli authorities to exhaust each choice to return some 130 hostages nonetheless believed to be in Gaza. Israel says 29 of them are presumed useless.
The group known as it a “once-in-a-lifetime mission” and mentioned they have to “not return without a deal”.
Hamas took about 250 individuals hostage in an unprecedented assault on October 7 that resulted within the deaths of about 1,160 individuals in Israel, based on an AFP tally based mostly on official Israeli figures.
At least 28,473 individuals, principally girls and youngsters, have been killed in Israel’s relentless bombardment and floor offensive in Hamas-run Gaza since then, based on the well being ministry within the Palestinian territory.
The Cairo assembly got here after the United States and the United Nations warned Israel towards a floor offensive into Rafah with no plan to guard civilians, who say they’ve nowhere left to go.
With the town on edge, a few of Rafah’s residents began to dismantle their makeshift tents and ready to maneuver on once more.
“We are sleeping in the street, (the tent) doesn’t have a roof, it’s made of nylon — if it gets hit by a missile, you will die instantly,” mentioned Gazan Fayez Abed.
After White House talks with Jordan’s King Abdullah II on Monday, U.S. President Joe Biden mentioned civilians in Rafah “need to be protected”, calling them “exposed and vulnerable”.
King Abdullah pushed for a “lasting ceasefire” to finish the greater than four-month-old battle, warning an Israeli assault on Rafah would “produce another humanitarian catastrophe”.
Other international locations cautioned Israel towards a Rafah floor assault, together with China, Germany and Norway, whereas Italy mentioned Israel’s bombing in Gaza had been “disproportionate”.
‘WE WANT TO BE READY’
After rejecting Hamas’s phrases for a truce final week, Israel carried out a Monday pre-dawn raid in Rafah that freed two hostages and killed round 100 individuals.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hailed the operation that freed Fernando Simon Marman, 60, and Luis Har, 70, as “perfect”, whereas the Palestinian overseas ministry mentioned the deaths of dozens of Gazans amounted to a “massacre”.
The uncommon rescue mission got here hours after Netanyahu spoke with Biden, who reiterated his opposition to a significant assault on the crowded space.
But the Israeli chief mentioned “complete victory” can’t be achieved with out the elimination of Hamas’ final battalions in Rafah.
The United States has angered some Middle East allies by repeatedly refusing to again a full ceasefire, with Washington saying it helps Israel’s drive to eradicate Hamas and calling for shorter pauses with hostage-prisoner swaps as an alternative.
A Hamas official instructed AFP they have been ready for the end result of the Cairo assembly however have been “open to discussing any initiative that achieves an end to aggression and war”.
Over half of Gaza’s 2.4 million individuals have sought refuge in Rafah, pressed up towards the Egypt border in makeshift camps the place they face outbreaks of hepatitis and diarrhoea, and a shortage of meals and water.
AFP noticed some households, already displaced a number of occasions, dismantling their tents and leaving in automobiles, vans or utilizing horse and carts.
“We escaped the north with empty hands, then we escaped Khan Yunis with almost empty hands,” mentioned one, Ismail Joundiyah.
“We want to be ready this time.”
NO SAFE PLACE
Netanyahu has mentioned Israel would offer “safe passage” to civilians making an attempt to go away, however overseas governments, Gazans and support teams have questioned the place they may go.
“There is no place that is currently safe in Gaza,” mentioned United Nations spokesman Stephane Dujarric.
A report within the Wall Street Journal Tuesday mentioned Israel was proposing to create 15 campsites of round 25,000 tents every in southwestern Gaza as a part of an evacuation plan.
The newspaper cited Egyptian officers saying the camps and subject hospitals can be put in and administered by Egypt, though there was no affirmation.
UN human rights chief Volker Turk warned an “extremely high number of civilians” might be killed or injured in an Israeli incursion into Rafah, which might additionally additional hit support.
As smoke was seen rising over Rafah, Al Jazeera mentioned two of its journalists have been severely wounded in an Israeli strike on the town.
Reporter Ismail Abu Omar’s life was in danger after having his proper leg amputated, whereas cameraman Ahmad Matar had suffered a number of wounds and extreme bleeding, the Qatar-based broadcaster mentioned Tuesday, citing a doctor.
Two different journalists with the broadcaster have been killed throughout the battle, whereas its Gaza bureau chief Wael al-Dahdouh was wounded.
So far 85 journalists and media professionals have been confirmed killed, based on the Committee to Protect Journalists of their newest toll to February 7.
The Israeli navy mentioned Tuesday that three extra troopers had been killed in combating in Gaza, taking its losses to 232 since floor operations started on October 27.
It additionally mentioned its forces had killed greater than 30 “terrorists” in Khan Yunis — southern Gaza’s largest metropolis, the place there was heavy combating in latest weeks.
Source: www.anews.com.tr