Israeli settlers again attack Palestinian farmers
Israeli settlers have attacked Palestinian farmers in residential areas in the occupied West Bank.
“The settler attacks occurred in the Jordan Valley [north], Hebron, and Bethlehem [south],” the Colonisation and Wall Resistance Commission (CWRC) and the Wafa news agency reported.
In a statement, the commission said Israelis from illegal settlements had “raided the homes and tents of citizens in the Jordan Valley area and destroyed their belongings, and attacked shepherds in the area”.
It added that the attack affected “the residence of citizen Fuad Draghmeh in the Ein al-Hilweh community in the northern Jordan Valley, and the tent of citizen Mohammed Abu Mta’awe in Al-Sakout area.
A witness also told the Anadolu news agency that armed settlers had attacked several Palestinian farmers inside their fields in the town of Nahalin, west of Bethlehem, to force them to leave.
Anti-Netanyahu protests call for elections, captive deal
Israelis are demonstrating in Tel Aviv against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government and calling for a deal to be reached to secure the release of Israeli captives taken on October 7.
The protesters are also calling for immediate elections in Israel.
Qatari official tells Israeli media ‘every time we get close to a deal there’s sabotage’
The Israeli newspaper Haaretz has conducted a special interview with Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Majed al-Ansari. In the interview, al-Ansari discussed Qatar’s frustration with Hamas and Israel regarding their conduct during the truce talks.
“We were hoping to see more commitment and more seriousness on both sides. We are, with the help of our international partners, hoping that we can pressure both sides to an agreement, but right now, we are seeing from both sides a lot of lack of commitment to the process itself and to the mediation”, al-Ansari said.
Al-Ansari stated that if Qatar sees their mediation efforts as “a hopeless endeavour,” then the government would “need to reassess” its position because, he added, “we do not want to be used as part of prolonging this conflict.”
Israeli foreign minister says deal would defer Rafah operation
Israel’s foreign minister says that a planned incursion into the city of Rafah could be suspended should there be a deal to secure the release of Israeli captives held by Hamas. “The release of the hostages is the top priority for us,” said Foreign Minister Israel Katz during an interview with Israeli broadcaster Channel 12.
Asked if that included putting off a planned operation that would target Hamas battalions in the city of Rafah, Katz answered, “Yes." He went on to say: “If there will be a deal, we will suspend the operation.”
And that's exactly why there won't be a deal as Hamas isn't interested in a suspension, they demand a permanent ceasefire.
