US diplomat presses Israel for Gaza truce

The head of American diplomacy, Anthony Blinkenon Wednesday pressured Israel to accept a truce in its war with Hamas, just entering its fifth month.

(Also: Qatar says it received a 'positive' response from Hamas on hostage deal)

The Secretary of State met in Jerusalem with the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, on this fifth tour of the head of American diplomacy in the Middle East since the start of the conflict on October 7. Blinken said he hopes to reach an agreement on hostages in Gaza but warns that there remains “a lot of work”.

(You can read: 'The war must not end until the leadership of Hamas dies': Benjamin Netanyahu)

Qatar, which brokered a temporary truce months ago, said Hamas responded to a new proposed deal to stop the fighting.

“The response includes some comments, but in general it is positive,” said Qatari Prime Minister Mohamed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, after meeting with Blinken in Doha the day before.

Hamas confirmed that it responded to the proposals made a week ago in Paris by Qatar and other mediators.

Blinken indicated that would address Hamas' response with Israel, after noting that there is “much work to be done” and “that an agreement is possible and certainly essential”.

(You can read: Qatar and Spain will continue to support UNRWA to address the tragic situation in Gaza)

The Israeli spy agency Mossad also received Hamas' response, according to Netanyahu's office. But the Israeli head of government, who has not commented on the Palestinian Islamist group's response, said Tuesday: “We are on the way to total victory and they will not stop us.”.

Pressure for a ceasefire has grown as Israeli forces advance toward Rafah, on Gaza's southern border with Egypt, where more than half the population of the small Palestinian territory has taken refuge.

“Intensified hostilities in Rafah, in this situation, could lead to large-scale loss of civilian life and we must do everything possible to avoid this,” said Jens Laerke, spokesman for the United Nations humanitarian office, OCHA.

Children afraid

The war broke out on October 7 with a Hamas attack in southern Israel that left more than 1,160 people dead, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli data.

Islamist militants also kidnapped about 250 people and about 132 remain in Gazaincluding 29 who are believed to have died.

(Continue reading: Houthi spokesperson confirms US and UK bombings: 'They will not go unpunished')

In response, Israel launched a military offensive that has killed 27,708 people in the Gaza Strip, mostly women and children, the Health Ministry of Hamas, which governs the territory, reported this Wednesday.

At least 123 people died in the last 24 hours, the same source said.

Blinken's visit “is a nightmare”, because on each trip, Israel “intensifies the attacks to show him that it rejects the truce”, says Mohammad Abu Nada, at the Najjar hospital in Rafah, where he went to collect the remains of a dead relative. in a bombing.

Israel reported that it was entering Rafah in search of Hamas fighters. The army “will reach places where we have not yet fought (…) to the last stronghold of Hamas, which is Rafah”declared this week the Israeli Minister of Defense, Yoav Gallant.

(You can read: Economy in Gaza would not recover its 2022 levels until 2092, according to UN report)

Safia Marouf, who took refuge in this town with her family after abandoning her home further north, says she fears what is coming.

“The children live in fear, and if we wanted to leave Rafah, we don't know where to go. What will be our fate and that of our children?” he asks.

Diplomatic pressure

“The humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip is more than catastrophic,” said Tommaso Della Longa, spokesman for the Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.

After Blinken's meeting in Doha, The Qatari ruler said he was “optimistic” about the possibility of a truce although he refused to comment on Hamas' response..

(Also: UNRWA warns that it will have to stop operations at the end of the month if it does not recover funding)

A Hamas source said last week that the proposal includes a six-week pause in fighting and a prisoner swap, as well as more aid for Gaza.

But Netanyahu assured that the Islamist group presented “demands that we will not accept.”

The Israeli ruler faces pressure to end the war and recover the hostages, with marked divisions in his cabinet and popular outrage over the plight of the captives.

The United States has strongly supported Israel, but also urged it to take action to reduce civilian casualties.

(Also: WHO warns that the population of Gaza is increasingly close to famine)

In recent weeks, violence has worsened in Lebanon, Iraq, Syria and Yemen, where Iranian-backed groups have launched attacks in support of Hamas, drawing responses from Israel, the United States and their allies.

Israeli attacks on the Syrian city of Homs left 10 dead, including two Lebanese Hezbollah fighters and six civilians, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (OSDH) reported on Wednesday.

(You can read: The Israeli Army admits having flooded Hamas tunnels in Gaza to destroy them)

Yemen's Houthi rebels have been attacking ships in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Anden for weeks in solidarity with the Palestinians, actions that affect global maritime trade and have generated responses from the United States and the United Kingdom.

AFP