In comments that came before Hamas’s announcement that it had accepted a truce proposal, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights delivered his most damning criticism of Israel yet in response to Israel’s apparent plan to invade Rafah, where the majority of Palestinians in Gaza are sheltering.

“Gazans continue to be hit with bombs, disease, and even famine. And today, they have been told that they must relocate yet again as Israeli military operations into Rafah scale up,” Volker Turk said. “This is inhumane. It runs contrary to the basic principles of international humanitarian and human rights laws, which have the effective protection of civilians as their overriding concern.”

He said lessons from seven months of war on Gaza show that an assault on Rafah will only kill more people, adding, “Enough of the killing”. “Those that elect to flout international humanitarian law and international human rights law must be held to account.”

Egypt’s el-Sisi urges all parties to reach deal in Gaza

Several families of Israeli captives held in Gaza have blocked the major Begin Road in Tel Aviv to demand that authorities agree to a deal to bring back their loved ones.

In a televised interview with Channel 12 that is being widely shared online, the mother of captive Matan Zangauker directly addressed Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to say he needs to be a “leader” and reach an agreement.

“If our government and prime minister miss this chance, which is probably my last chance to see Matan return home and for other families to see their loved one return home, I will bring out all Israelis,” said Einav Zangauker.

“The streets will burn, the country will burn… You cannot play like this with people’s lives.”

Gideon Levy, a columnist with Israel’s Haaretz newspaper, says Hamas “took a brilliant step” that has left Israel “embarrassed”.

“Hamas said very clearly, ‘We agree to a deal,’ which nobody of us knows exactly the details, and now the ball is in Israel’s hands and Israel has to decide,” he told Al Jazeera.

“For Netanyahu, this is a very, very tough decision because he might lose his government. On the other hand, if he says no, it’s very clear that Israel wants war and not the hostages,” Levy said.

The analyst noted the situation has reached “a very critical” stage, at which there is no time for any postponement.

“Netanyahu has to decide what does he prefer: a government that continues to stay in power, God knows what for, … or taking a brave decision, saying yes to the deal, releasing the hostages, putting an end to this war – which didn’t do anything good in Israel and for sure not to the Palestinians – and trying to create a new reality in Gaza,” Levy said.

“That’s his choice. Knowing him, he will not choose the better one.”

Nour Odeh, an analyst based in Ramallah, says Palestinians are “waiting on pins and needles” in the occupied West Bank to hear what Israel has to say after Hamas “threw a curveball” by suddenly announcing it has accepted a mediator ceasefire proposal.

“They want to see what will come out of Tel Aviv, is this going to be for real, will this ceasefire materialise? A lot of hope is hinging on that and people fear those last hours and last minutes carry a lot of risk,” she told Al Jazeera.

Odeh said Netanyahu is in a bind right now and that Israeli authorities are under pressure from the administration of US President Joe Biden. “I think we have to caution that Biden applies pressure on Israel, but only so much. The feeling is that he will find a way to kind of wiggle Netanyahu out of a difficult spot if he needs to,” she added.

“There’s a lot riding on this ceasefire, not just for Palestinians, not just for Israelis, but also for the Biden administration, which needs calm right now to get its house in order in preparation for the Democratic [National] Convention [in August].”

Antonio Guterres is deeply concerned by the looming Israeli military operation in Rafah, spokesman Stephane Dujarric has said.

“We are already seeing movements of people – many of these are in desperate humanitarian condition and have been repeatedly displaced. They search safety that has been so many times denied,” he said in a statement.

Dujarric said the UN chief has urged Israel and Hamas “to go the extra mile needed to make an agreement come true and stop the present suffering”.

“The Secretary-General reminds the parties that the protection of civilians is paramount in international humanitarian law.”

Too bad the UN has devolved into nothing more than reminders.

Haniyeh, Sheikh Tamim reviewed ‘required measures’ to guarantee implementing ceasefire proposal: Hamas

Video posted on Instagram a shot while ago by Palestinian journalist Hani al-Shaer shows flares fired by the Israeli army over eastern Rafah.

This comes after the army said it was conducting strikes against Hamas positions in Rafah, and after the Israeli war cabinet said that it had decided to press ahead with operations against the southern Gaza city.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C6o3UaINF3j

There has been an escalation of air raids and artillery bombardment in the eastern part of Rafah. We’re talking nonstop bombing of residential houses. The vast majority of residents there [eastern Rafah] have started to flee, where the Israeli military is trying to mobilise more troops.

Eyewitnesses that we have been in contact with say they have heard movement of Israeli military tanks across the Gaza separation fence with the Israel.

That’s absolutely terrifying … and contradictory to the general atmosphere of positivity around the negotiations on the ground.

Jordan king tells Biden Israeli assault on Rafah may lead to ‘new massacre’

For the negotiations to work, it would be extremely important to get assurances of implementation from the US, according to Tamer Qarmout, an assistant professor of public policy at Doha Institute of Graduate Studies.

“If the Americans have blessed this new version of the deal, then it has a high chance to succeed,” he told Al Jazeera.

“The Americans are opposing a major military operation in Rafah, including reoccupying Rafah and the Philadelphi Corridor, but I’m not sure if they are rejecting a limited military operation. Maybe this could be their gift to Netanyahu.”

This, the analyst said, could allow Israel to go into Rafah and claim its victory, and enable Netanyahu to assuage his far-right coalition.

“But when you look at the real world, first of all there is the suffering and the despair of people in Gaza, and the 1.5 million people in Rafah who don’t know what’s going to happen to them. And then there are the millions of people all over the world who are screaming and crying and want to see an end to this.”

Al-Quds Brigades fires rockets towards Israel

“Tremendous effort has been made to produce an exchange deal that’ll release hostages & realize a ceasefire,” Ayman Safadi said on X after the Israeli army announced it would be carrying out strikes on Hamas targets in Gaza’s southern city.

“Hamas has put out an offer. If Netanyahu genuinely wants a deal, he will negotiate the offer in earnest. Instead, he is jeopardizing the deal by bombing Rafah,” Safadi said.


Hamas agreed to a deal brokered by Egypt and Qatar, it's not another proposal. But it seems US and Israel are already trying to alter the deal.

Hamas says Palestinians ‘will not back down from demands’

A look at the first phase of the ceasefire agreement agreed to by Hamas

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/5/6/heres-everything-know-about-gaza-deal-hamas-agreed

A look at phases two and three of the ceasefire agreement

Students in the UK, including those at Cambridge and Oxford, are showing solidarity with Palestine and their peers around the world.

Similar to protests in the US, Canada and France, encampments were set up on campus with students demanding a boycott and divestment from Israel.