Hamas official says current ceasefire proposal too ‘open-ended’: Report
Senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri has told Reuters that while the group appreciates “Biden’s ideas”, the current ceasefire proposal does not provide a firm enough commitment that the war will end.
“The Israeli documents speak of open-ended negotiation with no deadline, and it speaks of a stage during which the occupation regains its hostages and resumes the war. We had told the mediators that such a paper wasn’t acceptable to us,” said Abu Zuhri.
“The (US) document … has no mention of ending the aggression or the withdrawal,” he added.
Egypt getting ‘positive signals’ from Hamas on ceasefire deal: Report
Egypt’s state-linked Al Qahera News is reporting that Hamas has relayed “positive signs” about a potential Gaza ceasefire deal, which the group is expected to formally respond to “in the coming days”.
The report quoted a high-level Egyptian source as saying: “Hamas leaders have informed us that they are studying the truce proposal seriously and positively.”
Egypt isn't helping, however the international community has yet to even mention the refugees.
Tens of thousands of Gaza refugees struggling to get by in Egypt
As of April this year, at least 80,000 Palestinians from Gaza had crossed into Egypt, according to Palestine’s Ambassador to Egypt Diab Allouh. But with few work prospects, little aid support and dwindling savings, many are struggling to meet their basic needs.
Nassim Touil, who helps coordinate assistance for Palestinians who have fled Gaza to Egypt, says there are refugees who can barely afford checkups and medications despite their desperate health needs.
For many, the need is all the greater because they have had to pay thousands of dollars a head to Egyptian travel agency Hala, the only private company coordinating Gaza evacuations.
They often show up in Egypt with little more than the clothes on their backs, knowing that what money they have left “will run out eventually”, Touil tells AFP.
Turkey’s leader urges global leaders to ‘take the wheel’ on Gaza truce
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called on countries supplying arms to Israel to end their “complicity in its crimes”.
Prodding the international community – whom he said hasn’t done enough to end the Gaza “massacre” – Erdogan also urged all “conscientious and responsible parties to take the wheel” to help reach an immediate ceasefire.
Erdogan has previously called Israel a “terror state” and its military campaign against Gaza “the most treacherous attacks in human history” with “unlimited” support from the West.
Must be clarity that Israel ceases fire ‘permanently’: Islamic Jihad
Muhammad al-Hindi, deputy secretary-general of Palestinian Islamic Jihad, spoke to Al Jazeera about a potential ceasefire in Gaza.
- There must be clarity that Israel will cease fire permanently.
- We want to make sure unequivocally that a truce and a complete Israeli withdrawal from Gaza are achieved.
- There is full agreement between the Palestinian resistance factions on the necessity of Israel’s complete withdrawal from the Gaza Strip.
- It is required to clearly stipulate that Israel will not return to war after the implementation of the ceasefire.
Far-right Israeli minister: Time to start planning Gaza settlements
In an address, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich says it’s time for re-planning Kfar Darom, referring to a former illegal settlement in central Gaza, according to video posted on social media by Israeli news channel N12.
Smotrich has been one of the most vocal supporters of illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank and has repeatedly called for re-establishing settlements in Gaza after the war.
Israel withdrew its military and settlers from the Gaza Strip in 2005 after a 38-year occupation. Debate is continuing over who will run the enclave following the end of the war that started after the October 7 Hamas attacks on Israel.
