Israeli ceasefire violations making Gaza peace efforts ‘incredibly difficult’
Israel’s repeated violations of the Gaza ceasefire agreement are “creating major risks for transitioning to the second phase”, Turkiye’s foreign minister has said, as he joined diplomats from the United States, Egypt and Qatar in the US city of Miami to review the first phase of the agreement reached in October.
“The ongoing violations by Israel, in particular, are making the process incredibly more difficult. What we see is that all parties are in agreement on this issue, and we also had various discussions on how to prevent this,” Hakan Fidan told Turkish state news agency Anadolu, adding that the ceasefire violations by Israel are “endangering the peace plan” put forth by US President Donald Trump.
Gaza recovery efforts slow as Civil Defence crew searches rubble in Khan Younis
These recoveries are not fast. They are slow and painstakingly dangerous for Civil Defence members risking their lives. During these operations, there is a high risk that these buildings will collapse. And they have limited equipment.
Those crews are currently carrying out recovery operations for 55 Palestinians who have been buried under the rubble of a destroyed house in Khan Younis. Gaza’s Civil Defence says it needs 14 excavators and cranes.
This reflects the Israeli strategy on the ground: Use lethal force to destroy entire communities while winter conditions make recovery operations very difficult.
Four people killed in Gaza City building collapse
At least four people have been killed in a building collapse in Gaza City. Palestinian authorities in Gaza have warned of a growing risk of collapses to civilians after the incident on Saturday evening in the Sheikh Radwan neighbourhood.
A total of 18 people have been killed in 46 building collapses across Gaza since the ceasefire came into effect on October 10.
“The Ministry of Interior and National Security warns of the escalation of the disaster with the continued prohibition of reconstruction and the non-entry of temporary homes,” the ministry said, adding that winter weather has increased the risk of further collapses.
It said many displaced families have been forced to shelter in damaged buildings because tents “are no longer a solution and do not provide them with protection”.
