Palestinians in Gaza desperate to recover loved ones still buried under rubble

The bodies of thousands of Palestinians are still trapped underneath layers of rubble, with the task of retrieving them for their families becoming more challenging by the day.

Ibrahim Abu Rish, a member of Gaza’s civil defence, says the work is hindered by their “limited and decaying equipment”. “Every hour that passes, hope fades,” he told Al Jazeera.

Palestinians even ‘deprived of right to grieve properly’

Major parts of Gaza City that were socially vibrant and densely populated have turned into piles of rubble. The destruction is so deep that excavating bodies has become an impossible process. Roads are destroyed and impassable, and heavy machinery is not available, forcing people to turn to basic tools to dig up huge piles of rubble in search of the remains of their loved ones.

Two years of attacks and genocidal acts not only took homes from people but deprived them of the right to grieve properly and offer their loved ones proper burials.

UAE’s Gargash says discussions ongoing on deployment of security personnel to Gaza

Anwar Gargash, the diplomatic adviser to the UAE president, has addressed the situation in Gaza during in an interview at the Reuters NEXT Gulf Summit in Abu Dhabi. He said much work remains to ensure the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza, which he said will scale up.

He also said discussions are under way on the deployment of security forces on the ground in Gaza, one plank of Trump’s 20-point peace plan that is the foundation of the ongoing ceasefire.

Gargash warned against “maximalist views” held by the Israeli right, saying any annexation of Palestinian territories would be a “red line”.

US credibility ‘on the line’ as Israel tests Hamas ceasefire limits

Academic Muhanad Seloom has warned that the credibility of the United States is “on the line” as Israel appears to test the limits of the current ceasefire with Hamas.

“The US has sent a top official [US Vice President JD Vance] to Israel to make sure this ceasefire holds, because they know that Netanyahu has now got all the living captives, some of the bodies of those killed and that he might walk away from the agreement,” Seloom, professor of critical security studies at the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies, told Al Jazeera.

The Gaza Government Media Office says it has documented at least 80 breaches of the ceasefire by Israel since October 10.

Seloom also noted that other countries, such as Qatar and Turkiye, were party to this agreement and are eager to see the ceasefire hold.

“Turkiye … is a major player in the region. It’s a member of NATO, and I think the Turkish government is very keen on making sure that this agreement is being implemented,” he added.

Israeli PM’s office rejects prospect of Turkish troops in Gaza: Report

Netanyahu’s office has told The Times of Israel that “there will be no Turkish involvement” in a security force in Gaza.

The statement follows Netanyahu’s comments earlier today that he has “very strong opinions about” possible Turkish involvement.

Once warm relations between NATO member Turkiye and Israel have plunged to new lows during the Gaza war, with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan repeatedly criticising Israel for its attacks in Gaza.

Turkiye has offered to take part in an international task force to monitor the implementation of the Gaza ceasefire under Trump’s plan, with its armed forces serving in a military or civilian capacity as needed. Vance said on Tuesday there would be a “constructive role” for Turkiye to play as the truce moved towards the next stage.

Can't have any troops in Gaza that have any sympathy for Palestinians. I guess Netanyahu will try to block Indonesian troops as well. It will be a Zionist coalition is it ever comes to letting an international task into Gaza. UK and Germany are welcome. RAF has already been working for Israel in the genocide.

Netanyahu, Vance holding news conference

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US Vice President JD Vance are speaking to reporters following their meeting earlier in West Jerusalem.

Vance says Israel ‘not a client state’

Vance, standing alongside Netanyahu, has now commented to the media in West Jerusalem.

The US vice president pushed back against the idea that Israel acts as a “vassal state” of the US. “We don’t want a client state and that’s not what Israel is. We want a partnership. We want an ally,” said Vance.

Trump, Vance said, believes that “Israel can play a very strong leadership role” in the region, allowing the US to take more of a back seat.

More like the US is a client state of Israel nowadays. At least under Biden it was, Trump is finally pushing back. (Albeit out of greed)

Israeli PM says strong Israel crucial for US interests in Middle East

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, standing next to US VP Vance, says when it comes to Israel’s security, “we do what we have to do”.

“A strong Israel serves America’s interests in stabilising this very unstable region, and you can’t stabilise it without a strong Israel,” he told reporters in West Jerusalem. “So we make the decisions with the security of Israel. We make common decisions, which I think [serve] both, and that’s what we discussed today.”

According to polls and US' soft power collapsing, Israel's decisions are definitely not serving the US

Here is the greed talking

Vance says Gaza deal can ‘unlock Abraham accords’

Continuing his remarks to the press, Vance said the Gaza ceasefire deal could potentially help expand the Abraham Accords, a series of Arab-Israeli normalisation deals Washington brokered under Trump’s first term.

“I think this Gaza deal is a critical piece of unlocking the Abraham Accords,” said Vance. “What it could allow is an alliance structure in the Middle East that preserves, that endures and that allows the good people of this region to step up and take ownership of their own back yard.”

“That’s in the United States’s best interest. I happen to think it’s in Israel’s best interest, too,” he said.

Vance says while ‘not easy’, he’s ‘optimistic ceasefire will hold’

Despite the repeated ceasefire violations, Vance has again expressed optimism about the deal. “It’s not easy. I never said it was easy. But what I am is optimistic that the ceasefire is going to hold and that we can actually build a better future for the entire Middle East,” he told reporters.

“But that’s going to require some work,” he continued, adding that both Israeli and US officials are engaged in the process.

Asked why the US is planning to send so many high-level officials to Israel, including him and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, if the ceasefire is in good shape, Vance replied: “It’s not about monitoring it, in the sense of monitoring a toddler. … It’s important for the administration to make sure our people continue to keep doing what we need them to do.”

Not a client state you said?

‘We’re creating an unbelievable day after’, Netanyahu says

The Israeli PM says ideas for “the day after” in Gaza had been discussed between him and US VP Vance in their meeting earlier.

“We’re just creating an unbelievable day after with a completely new vision of how to have the civil government, how to have the security there, who could provide that security there.”

“It’s not going to be easy, but I think it’s possible … we’re really creating a peace plan and an infrastructure here where nothing existed even a week and a day ago,” he said.

“That’s going to require a lot of work. It requires a lot of ingenuity.”

Unbelievable in the sense of delusional, yes agreed. All without any Palestinian consultation of course, just discussing how to tighten the occupation.

Majority of Americans support US recognition of Palestinian statehood: Poll

Eighty percent of Democrats and 41 percent of Republicans believe the US should recognise Palestinian statehood, a Reuters/Ipsos poll indicates.

The six-day poll, which closed on Monday, found 59 percent of respondents backed US recognition of a Palestinian state, while 33 percent were opposed and the rest were unsure or did not answer the question.

About half of Trump’s Republicans – 53 percent – opposed doing so, while 41 percent of Republicans said they would support the US recognising a Palestinian state.

A growing number of countries – including US allies Britain, Canada, France and Australia – have formally recognised Palestinian statehood in recent weeks, drawing condemnation from Israel.

The Reuters/Ipsos poll also signalled that the US public was ready to give Trump credit should his plan work. Some 51 percent of poll respondents agreed with a statement that Trump “deserves significant credit” if peace efforts are successful, compared with 42 percent who disagreed.

While only one in 20 Democrats approve of Trump’s overall performance as president, one in four said he should get significant credit if the peace holds.

I'll give Trump credit as well if his 'peace' plan leads to actual peace.

I very much doubt it though since it doesn't address any of the root causes, the occupation, apartheid, ethnic cleansing / land grabs in the West Bank, illegal imprisonment / torture, accountability overall and for the genocide / starvation in particular and the rampant racism and dehumanization of Palestinians in Israeli society. And then there's still the issue of a Palestinian state / 2-state solution which Israel continues to make impossible.

Gaza deal imperfect but ‘the only game in town’

Israeli political analyst Ori Goldberg says “sticking points” over how to implement the future stages of Trump’s Gaza plan are predictable, given that both Israel and Hamas have effectively been forced into it.

“This isn’t even really a deal,” but more of a “superimposed arrangement” that the two sides have been forced into by the US and Middle East powers, Goldberg told Al Jazeera.

“This is almost all sticking points and very little secure arrangements that can proceed gradually. Most egregiously, the Palestinians are not a part of this deal unless it is through semi-covert negotiations with Hamas. They are not heard. Their interests are not adequately represented,” he added.

“That said, this is the only game in town. Neither the Israelis nor Hamas were capable of bringing Israel’s genocidal campaign to a halt. Netanyahu lacks the political resolve. Hamas lacks a raison d’être for lack of a better term, except for the struggle.”

Err blaming Hamas for failing to stop the genocide is like blaming the Bielski partisans or Żydowska Organizacja Bojowa (Warshaw Ghetto uprising) for failing to stop the Holocaust. There is no equivalence here between Israel and Hamas.



The Gaza deal is not just imperfect, it's a recipe to tighten the occupation while distracting from the ongoing famine and genocide of Palestinians.

ICJ begins ruling on Israel’s Gaza aid obligations

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has started handing down its ruling on Israel’s obligations towards agencies providing humanitarian assistance to Palestinians in Gaza.

ICJ President Yuji Iwasawa opened the public hearing to deliver its “advisory opinion” laying out Israel’s duty to facilitate aid in the coastal enclave.

 
World Court says Israel must ensure ‘basic needs’ of people in Gaza

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) says Israel must facilitate UN aid efforts in Gaza, including UNRWA’s, and must ensure “basic needs” of Gaza population.

“As an occupying power, Israel is obliged to ensure the basic needs of the local population, including the supplies essential for their survival,” ICJ President Yuji Iwasawa said.

In January, Israel effectively banned UNRWA, the main provider of aid to Gaza, from operating in the territory.

Advisory opinions carry significant legal weight and experts say the case could have broader ramifications for the UN and its missions worldwide.

Israel denies it’s breaking international law by starving Gaza

Israel has denied it has violated international law, saying the court’s proceedings are biased, and did not attend hearings in April.

However, the country provided a 38-page written submission for the court to consider.

The advisory opinion from the World Court comes as a fragile US-brokered Gaza ceasefire agreement, which took effect on October 10, continues to hold despite repeated violations, including deadly attacks on Palestinians and Israel severely restricting desperately needed aid.

World Court: Israel has not proven claims many UNRWA staff are Hamas

As part of its findings, the International Court of Justice says Israel has failed to show evidence that UNRWA also worked for Hamas as it claimed.

“The court finds that Israel has not substantiated its allegations that a significant part of UNRWA’s employees are ‘members of Hamas … or other terrorist factions’,” said ICJ President Yuji Iwasawa.

Israel banned UNRWA from operating on Israeli soil after accusing some of its staff of taking part in the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack.

A series of investigations, including one led by France’s former Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna, found some “neutrality-related issues” at UNRWA.

However, the April 2024 report said Israel had “yet to provide supporting evidence” of its allegation that “a significant number of UNRWA employees are members of terrorist organisations”.

Global attention turned to The Hague as the International Court of Justice delivered its Advisory Opinion on Israel’s obligations in the occupied Palestinian territories. The ruling sparked mixed reactions from diplomats, activists, and citizens outside the ICJ, reflecting deep divisions over accountability and humanitarian access.

UN court cases ‘will hang over the head of Israel’ in the future

The ICJ ruling is indeed non-binding and won’t help the people in Gaza immediately, but it is still seen as very important because this is the highest legal body in the United Nations – the World Court.

Even if Israel ignores it, as it’s done time and time again, all the UN countries are obliged to follow up on this court’s advice.

Last year, the same court ruled the Israeli occupation of Palestinian land is illegal and that all illegal settlements had to be removed. We’ve seen countries now saying they are recognising Palestine as a sovereign state, so this is the outcome of these advisory opinions.

All these cases at the International Court of Justice are building up an important legal file – important for the Palestinian people because even if Israel is ignoring it now, it will hang over the head of Israel from this moment on.

So maybe it will be held accountable in the future.