The temporary harbour had been damaged in rough seas at the end of May, just a few days after its completion….reports Asian Lite Nws
The US military said that the delivery of urgently needed humanitarian aid for Gaza residents has resumed after a temporary pier on the territory’s coast was repaired.
The temporary harbour had been damaged in rough seas at the end of May, just a few days after its completion. Due to strong waves, four US military ships anchored in the area broke free from their moorings.
The regional command Centcom on Saturday said in a statement that at about 10:30 am local time (0730 GMT), it “began delivery of humanitarian assistance ashore in Gaza.”
“Today, a total of approximately 492 metric tonnes (1.1 million pounds) of much-needed humanitarian assistance was delivered to the people of Gaza. To date, USCENTCOM has assisted in the delivery of more than 1,573 metric tonnes (3.5 million pounds) of humanitarian aid,” the statement continued.
The regional command stressed that “no US military personnel went ashore in Gaza.”
The humanitarian pier facility, including its equipment, personnel, and assets were not used in the operation to rescue hostages today in Gaza. An area south of the facility was used by the Israelis to safely return the… pic.twitter.com/Eg7BNE8Phf
“This ongoing effort in support of the US Agency for International Development (USAID) to deliver additional aid to Palestinian civilians in Gaza is entirely humanitarian in nature and involves aid commodities donated by several countries and humanitarian organisations,” Centcom said.
Under the provisional arrangement, freighters will initially bring aid supplies from Cyprus to a floating platform a few kilometres off the coast of the Gaza Strip.
The goods are then loaded onto smaller ships that can sail closer to the coast. These then dock at the temporary pier attached to the coast. There, the supplies are received by aid organisations and then distributed in the Gaza Strip by lorry.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will visit Egypt, Israel, Jordan and Qatar from Monday to Wednesday
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is set to travel to the Middle East next week, in his latest attempt to push for an end to the ongoing Gaza war.
Blinken will visit Egypt, Israel, Jordan and Qatar from Monday to Wednesday, the State Department said on Friday.
“The Secretary will discuss with partners the need to reach a ceasefire agreement that secures the release of all hostages,” State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said.
The planned trip comes after US President Joe Biden laid out a new three-phase plan to end the months-long war in Gaza between Israel and Palestinian extremist group Hamas.
Blinken would “emphasize the importance of Hamas accepting the proposal on the table, which is nearly identical to one Hamas endorsed last month,” according to the statement.
“The Secretary will discuss how the ceasefire proposal would benefit both Israelis and Palestinians. He will underscore that it would alleviate suffering in Gaza, enable a massive surge in humanitarian assistance, and allow Palestinians to return to their neighbourhoods.”
Neither Israel nor Hamas have so far agreed to the latest proposal, which envisages a complete and unrestricted ceasefire lasting six weeks. This is to lead to a permanent ceasefire in a second phase.
Qatar, the US and Egypt have been mediating between Israel and Hamas for months to achieve a ceasefire and an exchange of hostages kept by the militant group for Palestinian prisoners. Following the Middle East trip, Blinken is scheduled to accompany Biden at the G7 leaders’ summit in Italy from June 13-14
There have been few exceptions to this rule, although some journalists have been permitted entry under the direct supervision of the Israeli military…reports Asian Lite News
The Department of State has called on Israeli authorities to grant unrestricted access in Gaza to international journalists seeking to cover the conflict.
The appeal marks the strongest rebuke yet from the Biden administration regarding media access in the region.
Department of State spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters: “We think journalists ought to be able to cover the war in Gaza; that includes journalists from outside Gaza.
“A lot of what the world knows is happening in Gaza is precisely, as you point out, it’s because of the work that journalists do, sometimes with incredibly tragic consequences.
“We support that work and we want to see it continue and we think that ought to be allowed in Gaza.”
Israel has been imposing a near-total ban on international journalists entering Gaza since the conflict began in October, forcing news agencies to rely on local media workers.
There have been few exceptions to this rule, although some journalists have been permitted entry under the direct supervision of the Israeli military.
Several media organizations and advocacy groups have consistently called for the ban to be lifted.
Nine media advocacy groups, including the Committee to Protect Journalists, Reporters Without Borders, and ARTICLE 19, appealed to the International Court of Justice in May for unimpeded media access to Gaza.
Israel has been conducting a repressive campaign against media workers and organizations since Oct. 7, while resisting international criticism.
At least 108 journalists and media workers have been killed in the conflict, the vast majority of them Palestinians.
Some 49 journalists remain in Israeli custody, including four female reporters, according to the Palestinian Prisoner Society.
Israel has been accused of deliberately targeting journalists during the conflict in some cases, which experts suggest could amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity.
An Israeli fighter jet bombed at least three classrooms with several missiles…reports Asian Lite News
At least 35 Palestinians were killed and dozens of others injured in an Israeli air strike targeting a school housing displaced people in the Nuseirat camp in the central Gaza Strip, the media reported on Thursday.
An Israeli fighter jet bombed at least three classrooms with several missiles, medical sources told Xinhua news agency.
Hamas-run media office in Gaza condemned Israel’s attack on the school as a “terrible massacre” in a statement, calling it “clear evidence of the crime of genocide committed against civilians”.
The office said that Israel and the US “should bear full responsibility for these crimes that endanger humanity and violate international law”, Xinhua news agency reported.
Israel Defense Forces attacked a Hamas compound inside a school in the Nuseirat area during Wednesday night, eliminating many saboteurs who participated in an attack on October 7, 2023, said Avichay Adraee, Israeli military spokesperson, in a statement on Thursday.
On Friday, Biden said Israel presented a three-phase deal that would end hostilities in Gaza and secure the release of hostages held in the coastal enclave. The plan includes a cease-fire, a hostage-prisoner exchange, and reconstruction of Gaza…reports Asian Lite News
Egypt and the UK called Tuesday on Hamas and Israel to strike a cease-fire agreement in the Gaza Strip.
In a phone call between Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry and his British counterpart David Cameron, the two diplomats discussed a Gaza cease-fire and hostage swap proposal laid out by US President Joe Biden, Egypt’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
On Friday, Biden said Israel presented a three-phase deal that would end hostilities in Gaza and secure the release of hostages held in the coastal enclave. The plan includes a cease-fire, a hostage-prisoner exchange, and reconstruction of Gaza.
The two ministers reiterated support for efforts aimed at reaching a cease-fire in Gaza and urged Hamas and Israel “to complete the agreement to end the humanitarian crisis” in the enclave, the statement said.
Shoukry underlined Egypt’s support for efforts “to end the Israeli war on Gaza, ensure full access to humanitarian aid, the complete withdrawal of the Israeli occupation forces from the Gaza Strip, and the return of the displaced.”
He also renewed his call for halting Israeli military operations in the strip, especially in Rafah, and opening all crossings between Israel and Gaza to allow the full entry of aid.
There was no official response yet from Israel or Hamas on Biden’s proposal, but the Palestinian group said that it would “respond positively to any proposal that includes a permanent cease-fire, a full withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, reconstruction efforts, the return of the displaced, and the completion of a comprehensive hostage exchange deal.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, however, said Monday that he was “not ready to stop” the war in Gaza, claiming that Biden’s remarks about a cease-fire proposal were “inaccurate.”
His coalition partners, far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, have threatened to topple the government if Netanyahu agrees to Biden’s cease-fire plan.
Indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas, mediated by the US, Qatar and Egypt, have so far failed to agree on a permanent cease-fire.
Israel has continued its brutal offensive on Gaza since Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attack despite a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate cease-fire.
More than 36,500 Palestinians have since been killed in Gaza, the vast majority being women and children, and nearly 83,000 others injured, according to local health authorities.
Nearly eight months into the Israeli war, vast swathes of Gaza lay in ruins amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water, and medicine.
Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice, which in its latest ruling has ordered Tel Aviv to immediately halt its operation in the southern city of Rafah, where over a million Palestinians had sought refuge from the war before it was invaded on May 6.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.(pic credit: https://twitter.com/SecBlinke)
The top US diplomat commended Israel’s readiness to conclude a deal and reaffirmed the United States ironclad commitment to Israel’s security….reports Asian Lite News
Secretary of State Antony Blinken has spoken with Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant and Israeli Minister Benny Gantz about Israel’s proposal to achieve a full and complete ceasefire in Gaza, the State Department said.
Gantz is a minister in Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s war cabinet.
In separate calls on Sunday according to State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller said Blinken commended Israel for the proposal and emphasized that the onus is on Hamas to accept the deal.
The US Secretary reiterated that, in addition to reuniting hostages with their loved ones, the proposal would advance Israel’s long-term security interests, including by unlocking the possibility of calm along Israel’s border with Lebanon that would allow Israelis to return to their home.
The top US diplomat commended Israel’s readiness to conclude a deal and reaffirmed the United States ironclad commitment to Israel’s security.
On Friday, President Joe Biden announced in a speech that Israel has proposed a “comprehensive new proposal” that provides a roadmap to a ceasefire in the ongoing war with Hamas in Gaza and securing the release of all hostages held by the terrorist group.
According to Biden, the proposal, transmitted by Qatar to Hamas, outlines a “roadmap” towards a ceasefire. The initial phase, spanning six weeks, involves a “full and complete ceasefire with the withdrawal of Israeli forces from all populated areas of Gaza” and “release of a number of hostages including women, the elderly, the wounded in exchange for the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.”
This announcement follows Israel’s presentation of new ideas regarding hostage and ceasefire negotiations earlier in the week, a diplomatic source familiar with the negotiations told CNN on Tuesday without divulging details regarding these new ideas.
Direct talks between Israel and Hamas regarding the release of hostages were paused three weeks ago due to disagreements over certain terms.
A statement from the group said that it had shown “flexibility and positivity in dealing with the efforts of the mediators throughout all previous rounds of indirect negotiations.” Israel, Hamas said, had used the months of ongoing talks as a cover to continue its war in Gaza.
White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said on Sunday, the US expects Israel to stick to the hostage deal proposal it made last week and accept the offer if Hamas consents as well.
“We have every expectation that if Hamas agrees to the proposal — as was transmitted to them, an Israeli proposal — that Israel would say ‘Yes,'” Kirby said in an interview on ABC News.
According to the Politico, the controversy began on Wednesday, when Israel’s war cabinet made an offer for a ceasefire to Hamas, against the wishes of Netanyahu. Hamas rejected the bid on Thursday, but seemed to reconsider when Biden urged them to on Friday, saying they viewed the offer “positively.”
The three-part cease-fire plan is backed by the European Commission, the UK, Germany, France, Egypt, Qatar and other Arab governments, the US publication detailed. (ANI)
Houthis fire barrage of drones, missiles at ships
The US military said Yemen’s Houthi militia has fired a new wave of drones and missiles into international shipping lanes off Yemen, including two missiles aimed at a US warship in the Red Sea.
This comes as the Houthis claim to have made another reprisal hit on a US ship in the Red Sea.
The US Central Command said on Sunday that the Houthis launched three drones over the Red Sea on Saturday, one of which was destroyed by its forces, while the other two fell into the water, failing to strike any ship in the important commercial corridor.
The US military said in a statement on Sunday morning, Yemen time, that no injuries or damage was reported by the US coalition or commercial ships.
Also on Saturday, CENTCOM forces intercepted two anti-ship ballistic missiles in the southern Red Sea before they reached their target, the destroyer USS Gravely.
“The ASBM were fired in the direction of USS Gravely and were destroyed in self-defense, with no damage or injuries reported by US, coalition, or commercial ships,” the US military said in the same statement.
On Friday, the Houthis launched five drones and two ballistic missiles into the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, but did not hit any ships on the two commercial routes, CENTCOM said.
In Sanaa, the Houthis claimed on Saturday night to have carried out six strikes on commercial and navy ships, including one on the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, in the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean.
In a videotaped statement, Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sarea said that their troops launched several ballistic missiles and drones at the US aircraft carrier and a US destroyer in the Red Sea.
The other four attacks targeted three ships: Maina in the Red Sea, the Al-Oraiq in the Indian Ocean, and the Abliani in the Red Sea, alleging that they had breached a ban on visiting Israeli ports.
Ship-tracking app Marine Traffic identified the Maina as a bulk carrier flying the Malta flag that left Russia’s Baltic Sea port of Ust-Luga early last month for Krishnapatnam Port in India.
The Marshall Island-flagged Al-Oraiq is an LNG tanker sailing from Ras Laffan in Qatar to Italy, while the Malta-flagged Abliani is a crude oil tanker sailing to the Suez Canal in Egypt, according to the app.
Since November, the Houthis have sunk one commercial ship, captured another, and claimed to have shot hundreds of ballistic missiles and drones at more than 100 ships in the Red Sea, Bab Al-Mandab Strait, Gulf of Aden, Indian Ocean, and most recently the Mediterranean.
The Houthis claim that their actions are aimed solely at ships with links to Israel in an atempt to put pressure on Israel to end its war in Gaza, a claim challenged by the Houthis’ opponents in Yemen, who accuse the militia of exploiting the nationwide outrage of civilian deaths in Gaza to shore up their public support at home.
The US reacted to the Houthi assaults by labeling them as a terrorist organization, organizing a marine alliance to protect the seas, and launching airstrikes on Houthi sites in Yemen.
Despite US assertions that its strikes have weakened the Houthis, analysts say the increasing number of Houthi attacks on ships demonstrate that the strikes are ineffectual and that the Houthis continue to feel that their attacks have increased their popularity.
“It (the surge in Houthi attacks] suggests that US-UK airstrikes against Houthi targets are not working, at least not yet and not as effectively as intended,” Elisabeth Kendall, a Middle East expert and head of Girton College at the University of Cambridge, told Arab News. “It suggests that the Houthis believe their attacks continue to work for them in terms of gaining broad popularity, international notoriety and greater leverage in ongoing efforts to end the Yemen war. They see no reason to stop,” she added.
Kendall said that maintaining strikes on ships, even with less accurate weaponry, is a win for the Houthis. “The Houthis are resilient and the asymmetric nature of the Red Sea conflict plays to their advantage. The sophistication of their weaponry may diminish, but all they need to do is to keep going.”
Biden, whose initial lockstep support for Israel’s offensive has given way to open censure of the operation’s high civilian death toll, on Friday aired what he described as a three-phase plan submitted by the Netanyahu government to end the war…reports Asian Lite News
An aide to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed on Sunday that Israel had accepted a framework deal for winding down the Gaza war now being advanced by US President Joe Biden, though he described it as flawed and in need of much more work.
In an interview with Britain’s Sunday Times, Ophir Falk, chief foreign policy adviser to Netanyahu, said Biden’s proposal was “a deal we agreed to — it’s not a good deal but we dearly want the hostages released, all of them.”
“There are a lot of details to be worked out,” he said, adding that Israeli conditions, including “the release of the hostages and the destruction of Hamas as a genocidal terrorist organization” have not changed.
Israel battled and bombarded Hamas in the Gaza Strip on Sunday as mediators called on both sides to agree to a truce and hostage release deal outlined by Biden.
Biden, whose initial lockstep support for Israel’s offensive has given way to open censure of the operation’s high civilian death toll, on Friday aired what he described as a three-phase plan submitted by the Netanyahu government to end the war.
The first phase entails a truce and the return of some hostages held by Hamas, after which the sides would negotiate on an open-ended cessation of hostilities for a second phase in which remaining live captives would go free, Biden said.
That sequencing appears to imply that Hamas would continue to play a role in incremental arrangements mediated by Egypt and Qatar — a potential clash with Israel’s determination to resume the campaign to eliminate the Iranian-backed Islamist group.
Biden has hailed several ceasefire proposals over the past several months, each with similar frameworks to the one he outlined on Friday, all of which collapsed. In February he said Israel had agreed to halt fighting by Ramadan, the Muslim holy month that began on March 10. No such truce materialized.
The primary sticking point has been Israel’s insistence that it would discuss only temporary pauses to fighting until Hamas is destroyed. Hamas, which shows no sign of stepping aside, says it will free hostages only under a path to a permanent end to the war.
In his speech, Biden said his latest proposal “creates a better ‘day after’ in Gaza without Hamas in power.” He did not elaborate on how this would be achieved, and acknowledged that “there are a number of details to negotiate to move from phase one to phase two.”
Falk reiterated Netanyahu’s position that “there will not be a permanent ceasefire until all our objectives are met.”
Netanyahu is under pressure to keep his coalition government intact. Two far-right partners have threatened to bolt in protest at any deal they deem to spare Hamas. A centrist partner, ex-general Benny Gantz, wants the deal considered.
Hamas has provisionally welcomed the Biden initiative.
“Biden’s speech included positive ideas, but we want this to materialize within the framework of a comprehensive agreement that meets our demands,” senior Hamas official Osama Hamdan said on Saturday.
Hamas wants a guaranteed end to the Gaza offensive, withdrawal of all invading forces, free movement for Palestinians and reconstruction aid.
Israeli officials have rejected that as an effective return to the situation in place before Oct. 7, when Hamas, committed to Israel’s destruction, ruled Gaza.
In the ensuing Israeli assault that has laid waste to much of the impoverished and besieged coastal enclave, more than 36,000 Palestinians have been killed, Gaza medical officials say.
Sheikh Abdullah also recognised the importance of building on these proposals in order to create a serious political horizon for renegotiation with the aim of achieving a comprehensive peace based on the two-state solution…reports Asian Lite News
Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs, stressed the importance of the proposals presented by US President Joe Biden regarding the situation in the Gaza Strip, appreciating these efforts which aimed at stopping the war in the Strip.
This came during a phone call today with Anthony Blinken, US Secretary of State, during which the two top diplomats discussed the current developments in the Middle East region and the situation in the Gaza Strip and their repercussions, especially on the humanitarian aspect. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed also reviewed with Secretary Blinken the US President’s proposals, which include a comprehensive ceasefire and the withdrawal of the Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip, the release of prisoners and hostages, the return of the residents of the northern Gaza Strip to their home areas, a surge of humanitarian aid for the Gaza Strip, and the implementation of a comprehensive reconstruction plan for Gaza.
Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed stressed the need to deal seriously and positively with President Biden’s proposals and all other proposals that lead to de-escalation in the region, protecting the lives of all civilians, alleviating the worsening humanitarian crisis that civilians are suffering from in the Gaza Strip, and ending this war.
Sheikh Abdullah also recognised the importance of building on these proposals in order to create a serious political horizon for renegotiation with the aim of achieving a comprehensive peace based on the two-state solution.
HE appreciated the ongoing mediation efforts undertaken by the sisterly State of Qatar, the sisterly Arab Republic of Egypt, and the friendly United States to reach a ceasefire, affirming the UAE’s firm support for all efforts aimed at reaching a sustainable ceasefire, providing urgent humanitarian aid to civilians in the Gaza Strip, and ending the suffering of the brotherly Palestinian people.
He pointed out that extremism, tension and escalating violence have pushed the region to an unprecedented state of instability, which necessitates the need to intensify international cooperation and concerted regional and international efforts to end this situation and to focus on consolidating the foundations of security and stability in the region and meeting the aspirations of its peoples for a decent life, development and prosperity. (ANI/WAM)
The US president said Israel’s three-stage offer would begin with a six-week phase that would see Israeli forces withdraw from all populated areas of Gaza…reports Asian Lite News
Qatari, Egyptian and US mediators called on Israel and Hamas Saturday to “finalize” the truce deal outlined by US President Joe Biden, as Israeli forces pounded Rafah in southern Gaza.
Fighting has raged in the besieged Gaza Strip since Biden said Israel was offering a new roadmap toward a full ceasefire.
But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has since insisted his country would pursue the war until it had achieved all its aims.
He reiterated that position on Saturday, saying that “Israel’s conditions for ending the war have not changed: the destruction of Hamas’s military and governing capabilities, the freeing of all hostages and ensuring that Gaza no longer poses a threat to Israel.”
Hamas, meanwhile, said it “views positively” the Israeli plan laid out by Biden on Friday.
In a joint statement, Qatar, the United States and Egypt said that “as mediators in the ongoing discussions to secure a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of hostages and detainees,” they “call on both Hamas and Israel to finalize the agreement embodying the principles outlined by President Joe Biden.”
The US president said Israel’s three-stage offer would begin with a six-week phase that would see Israeli forces withdraw from all populated areas of Gaza.
It would see the “release of a number of hostages” in exchange for “hundreds of Palestinian prisoners” held in Israeli jails.
Israel and the Palestinians would then negotiate for a lasting ceasefire, with the truce to continue so long as talks are ongoing, Biden said.
“It’s time for this war to end, for the day after to begin.”
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called foreign ministers from Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye on Friday to press the deal, and on Saturday spoke with the Qatari, Egyptian and Emirati ministers.
UN chief Antonio Guterres “strongly hopes” the latest development “will lead to an agreement by the parties for lasting peace,” a spokesman said.
Netanyahu took issue with Biden’s presentation of what was on the table, insisting that according to the “exact outline proposed by Israel,” the transition from one stage to the next was “conditional” and crafted to allow it to maintain its war aims.
Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid said the government “cannot ignore Biden’s important speech” and should accept the proposed deal, vowing to back Netanyahu if his far-right coalition partners quit over it.
“I remind Netanyahu that he has our safety net for a hostage deal,” Lapid said on the X platform, the former Twitter.
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, leaders of the two extreme-right parties in parliament, said they would leave the government if it endorses the truce proposal.
Ben Gvir said on X his party would “dissolve the government,” while Smotrich said: “We demand the continuation of the war until Hamas is destroyed and all hostages return.”
Smotrich added he opposes the return of displaced Gazans to the territory’s north and the “wholesale release of terrorists” in a prisoner swap.
War cabinet member Benny Gantz, a centrist politician, had threatened to resign unless Netanyahu approves a post-war plan for Gaza by June 8.
Netanyahu has faced increasing domestic pressure over the fate of hostages and from a resurgent anti-government movement, with Israelis rallying again on Saturday near military headquarters in Tel Aviv.
Israel’s retaliatory offensive has killed at least 36,379 people in Gaza, mostly civilians, according to the Hamas-run territory’s health ministry.
Israel sent tanks and troops into Rafah in early May, ignoring concerns for displaced Palestinian civilians sheltering in the city on the Egyptian border.
On Saturday, residents reported tank fire in the Tal Al-Sultan neighborhood in west Rafah, while witnesses in the east and center described intense shelling.
Before the Rafah offensive began, the United Nations said up to 1.4 million people were sheltering in the city.
Since then, one million have fled the area, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, has said.
The Israeli seizure of the Rafah crossing has further slowed sporadic aid deliveries for Gaza’s 2.4 million people and effectively shuttered the territory’s main exit point.
Egyptian state-linked Al-Qahera News said Cairo will host a meeting with Israeli and US officials on Sunday to discuss reopening the Rafah crossing.
In northern Gaza, witnesses said that after carrying out a three-week operation in the town of Jabalia, troops had ordered residents of nearby Beit Hanun to evacuate ahead of an assault.
The Israeli army said troops “completed their mission in eastern Jabalia and began preparation for continued operations in the Gaza Strip.”
In parallel to the Gaza onslaught, Israel has also stepped up security operations in the occupied West Bank. The official WAFA Palestinian news agency said a 15-year-old boy was killed by Israeli forces on Saturday near Jericho.
The Israeli military said it had opened fire on two suspects who had thrown petrol bombs at a neighboring Israeli settlement.
A meeting between the Qatar and Egyptian negotiators with Hamas political head, Ismail Haniyehwas reportedly held on Friday night.
The negotiators from Qatar and Egypt are pushing the Hamas political leadership to accept the ceasefire proposal mooted by Israel at the behest of the United States.
Prime Minister of Qatar, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani and the head of Egyptian intelligence, Major General Abbas Kamel met the Hamas political head, Ismail Haniyeh and pushed the militant group to accept the proposal of Israel for a ceasefire.
Sources in Israel’s PMO told IANS that the meeting between the Qatar and Egyptian negotiators with Haniyeh was held on Friday night.
Israel has given a three-phase ceasefire proposal at the behest of the United States. It included the release of hostages inclusive of women, children, elderly and injured, and that Israel forces would withdraw from the densely populated regions of Gaza including Rafah. There is to be a six-week ceasefire as part of this during the first phase.
The released hostages would include American hostages. In exchange for this, Palestinians would return to their homes from all areas of Gaza including the northern region from where maximum exodus had taken place.
During the six weeks of ceasefire, Israel and Hamas would negotiate the necessary agreements for phase two, which will be a permanent ceasefire.
Qatar and Egyptian negotiators are keen for the permanent ceasefire to happen.
In the second phase, all the hostages would be released and around 900 Palestinian prisoners in Israel jails would also be released. The third phase would lead to the reconstruction plan for Gaza and the release of any remaining hostages.
