Main events on March 29th
- Israel’s military begins a new ground operation in Rafah in southern Gaza, as the death toll from Israeli attacks on Saturday rose to 24.
- Hamas says it has agreed to a new ceasefire deal, proposed by Egypt and Qatar, that reportedly calls for the release of five captives each week.
- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office says Israel has conveyed to the mediators a counterproposal in full coordination with the United States.
- Thousands of Israelis are rallying in Tel Aviv, calling on Netanyahu to secure the release of the remaining captives held in Gaza.
- The US continues its bombardment of Yemen, launching at least three raids on the city of Saada and the nearby Al-Salem district.
- Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem warns Israel that the group’s patience has limits after the Israeli military carried out its first major air attack on Beirut’s southern suburbs on Friday.
Israelis protest as Netanyahu tries to buy time with ceasefire counter-proposal
Thousands of Israelis have filled the streets in Tel Aviv and other cities to protest against the Israeli government.
The Tel Aviv protest kicked off with a statement from the families of Israeli captives. They want all 59 captives released at once in exchange for ending the war, and they’re pleading with Donald Trump to intervene.
These rallies are not just about the captives.
They’re a convergence of many angry groups, those opposed to their government’s policies and decisions, like changes in the judiciary and the decision to fire the chief of internal security. And those who are fed up with Benjamin Netanyahu’s long list of corruption charges.
During the protest, news came that the Israeli army is expanding its assault on Gaza, while the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office declared Israel has submitted a counter-offer to a ceasefire proposal put forward by Egypt and Qatar after Hamas accepted it – a move some observers say is meant to foil attempts to end the war.
Netanyahu is buying time to keep his coalition, which has an insatiable appetite for war.
Palestinians in Gaza starving as Israeli blockade continues, official says
Ismail Al-Thawabta, the spokesman for Gaza’s Government’s Media Office, says “starvation is on the rise” in the enclave as Israel’s total blockade on the territory nears one month.
“We are talking about around 20,000 aid trucks that are supposed to enter Gaza but the Israelis didn’t allow a single one to go in,” Al-Thawabta said. “Not to mention two thousand trucks of fuel and even the cooking oil.”
The spokesman said the shortages have now “caused many bakeries to shut down all across Gaza” and that this closure is taking place alongside Israeli attacks on community kitchens.
“We hold the US administration and the Israeli army responsible for malnutrition and famine in Gaza and we urge the international community to force the Israeli occupation to open the crossings, withdraw its troops and allow aid to be delivered before it is too late,” he added.
