Hamas says it is studying in a “positive spirit” a truce offer associated with the release of hostages in the Gaza Strip, where nearly seven months of devastating war have caused “unprecedented” destruction according to the UN.
While the mediating countries (Qatar, Egypt, United States) await Hamas’ response to the new proposal, medical sources in the Gaza Strip reported Friday new deadly Israeli strikes during the night, particularly in the Rafah sector. .
Hamas is studying in a “positive spirit” the new offer on the table, for a 40-day break in the fighting, its leader, Ismaïl Haniyeh, said Thursday in a telephone conversation with the head of Egyptian intelligence, Abbas Kamel.
Mr. Haniyeh “confirmed” that a delegation from the movement would travel to Egypt “shortly” to complete recent discussions with a view to a possible agreement that “meets the demands of our people” and “ends the aggression “.
The leader of Hamas, a movement considered a terrorist organization by Israel, the United States and the European Union, also spoke with the Qatari Minister of Foreign Affairs, to whom he repeated his wish to “reach an agreement “.
The day before, a Hamas official spoke of a currently “negative” position on the part of Hamas regarding these negotiations.
The Palestinian Islamist movement, which took power in 2007 in Gaza, maintains its demands, first and foremost a permanent ceasefire, which Israel has always refused.
” Do everything “
The American Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, judged, during a new tour in the region this week, the truce proposal “extraordinarily generous” on the part of Israel.
He also urged Israel to abandon a ground offensive on the city of Rafah, which has become a refuge for a million and a half Palestinians on the southern edge of the besieged Palestinian territory.
“We will do what is necessary to win and defeat our enemy, including in Rafah,” repeated Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday, who reaffirmed his intention to launch this offensive “with or without an agreement” of truce.
Mr. Netanyahu considers it essential to “annihilate” Hamas there, but the UN and many countries fear carnage.
“If we have to defend ourselves alone, we will defend ourselves alone,” said the Israeli Prime Minister as mobilization increases in certain countries against Israel for the conduct of its war in Gaza.
In addition to demonstrations on the campuses of major universities in the United States, Canada, and even in France, notably at Sciences Po Paris, Colombia announced on Wednesday that it was severing its diplomatic ties with Israel, and Turkey suspended its commercial relations with Israel on Thursday. this same country.
All this while Israeli officials are beginning to fear a possible indictment by the International Criminal Court (ICC), which is however opposed by their American ally.
On October 7, an attack by Hamas commandos infiltrated from Gaza in southern Israel led to the death of 1,170 people, mainly civilians, according to an AFP report established using official Israeli data. In addition, more than 250 people have been kidnapped and 129 remain captive in Gaza, of whom 35 are now dead, after the announcement of a new death.
The Israeli government confirmed Friday the death of hostage Dror Or (49), two of whose children, also kidnapped during the Hamas attack on October 7, had been released at the end of November as part of a first truce .
“The Israeli government must do everything to bring back Dror” and the “other murdered hostages so that they can be buried with honor in Israel,” demands the Hostage Families Forum.
In retaliation for the Hamas attack on October 7, Israel launched an offensive in the Gaza Strip that left 34,596 people dead, mostly civilians, according to the Hamas Health Ministry in the Palestinian territory.
Bombings have caused further casualties in recent hours, notably in Rafah, where six bodies were recovered after an Israeli airstrike at night on a house of the Al-Chahine family in the Al-Zahur district, according to Civil Defense and first aiders.
“Enough, enough […]. We need to put pressure on both camps” for a ceasefire, said Bassam al-Hafi, a resident of the affected area.
Unprecedented destruction
Hundreds of Gazans have been arrested by the Israeli army in nearly seven months of war. Two prisoners, including a doctor from al-Chifa hospital, died behind Israeli bars, two Palestinian detainee rights groups said Thursday, saying they died from “torture” and lack of security. of care.
The Dr Adnane Ahmed Atiya al-Bourch, 50, was the head of the Orthopedics department at al-Chifa hospital. According to the Hamas Ministry of Health, his death brings to 492 the number of medical personnel killed since the start of the war.
Arrested “by the occupying army in December 2023 in a hospital” in the north of the Palestinian territory, he died in Ofer prison, in the occupied West Bank, on April 19, according to the two associations which specify that his remains there is “always retained”.
The Israeli army told AFP that it “was not informed” of such facts.
In addition to the heavy human toll, reconstruction is expected to cost $30 to $40 billion, the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) estimated on Thursday.
“The scale of destruction is enormous and unprecedented […]. This is a mission that the international community has not faced since World War II,” said UNDP Regional Bureau Director for Arab States Abdallah al-Dardari.