Israel’s Defence Minister Israel Katz has sanctioned a decisive plan to conquer Gaza City, authorizing the mobilization of approximately 60,000 reservists to execute this mission, his ministry confirmed on Wednesday, reports 24brussels.
This move places additional pressure on Hamas as mediators, including Qatar, await Israel’s official response to their latest ceasefire proposal in the nearly two-year conflict in Gaza.
While Qatar expressed cautious optimism regarding the ceasefire proposal, a senior Israeli official stated that the government remains steadfast in its demand for the release of all hostages before any agreement is reached.
The plan approved by Hamas includes an initial 60-day truce, a staggered hostages release, the liberation of certain Palestinian prisoners, and provisions for humanitarian aid access into Gaza.
Since the beginning of the war, Israel and Hamas have engaged in intermittent negotiations, resulting in temporary truces that facilitated the exchange of Israeli hostages for Palestinian detainees.
Israel’s security cabinet has recently endorsed plans to seize control of Gaza City, raising concerns that such actions could exacerbate the already dire humanitarian situation.
Supported by the United States, Qatar and Egypt continue to facilitate the diplomatic talks.
Qatar indicated that the latest ceasefire proposal closely mirrors a previous version that Israel had agreed to, while Egypt stated that “the ball is now in its [Israel’s] court.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has yet to offer public remarks on the newly approved plan but asserted last week that Israel would agree to a deal contingent upon the simultaneous release of all hostages based on Israel’s conditions for concluding the conflict.
Senior Hamas official Mahmoud Mardawi noted on social media that the group is open to negotiations, questioning whether Netanyahu would dismiss the opportunity as he has in the past.
‘White gold’
This ceasefire proposal arrives amid increasing pressure on Netanyahu both domestically and internationally.
In Gaza, the civil defense agency reported that Israeli airstrikes and shelling claimed the lives of 48 individuals on Tuesday.
Mahmud Bassal, a spokesman for the agency, described the situation in Gaza City’s Zeitoun and Sabra neighborhoods as “very dangerous and unbearable,” citing continued intermittent shelling.
The Israeli military has refrained from commenting on specific troop movements, stating only that it is focused on dismantling Hamas’s military capabilities while taking “feasible precautions to mitigate civilian harm.”
Moreover, the military confirmed a targeted strike in Khan Yunis aimed at a Hamas militant.
Due to media restrictions in Gaza and the challenges involved in accessing various areas of the Palestinian territory, AFP cannot independently verify the reported numbers and details provided by the civil defense agency or the Israeli military.
In northern Gaza’s Zikim area, an AFP journalist witnessed residents transporting sacks of food aid along desolate roads littered with rubble and damaged structures.
Gazans such as Shawg Al-Badri remarked that it takes “three to four hours” to carry flour, which she referred to as “white gold,” back to her family’s temporary shelter. “This bag is worth the whole world,” she stated.
Hamas’s assault on Israel in October 2023 resulted in 1,219 fatalities, predominantly civilians, according to an AFP compilation based on official data.
In response, Israeli actions have led to a death toll of at least 62,064 Palestinians, primarily civilians, as reported by the health ministry in Hamas-controlled Gaza, a source deemed credible by the United Nations.
(vib)
