Hamas is “backtracking” while an agreement for a ceasefire is “always possible”regretted Joe Biden. The American president spoke on Tuesday, August 20, on the sidelines of the Democratic convention where he gave a speech, and while negotiations for a truce in the Gaza Strip are preparing to resume in Cairo. The day before, his Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, had affirmed that a compromise plan had been validated by Israel and urged Hamas to “do the same”, despite their absence at the negotiating table. Follow our live broadcast.
Hamas threatens Israel with attacks on its soil. Its armed branch and that of Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility in a joint statement: “Sunday night’s suicide attack in Tel Aviv”. The attack, carried out by a Palestinian carrying a backpack loaded with explosives, lightly injured a passerby, according to Israeli police. The Ezzedine al-Qassam and al-Quds brigades warned Israel that the attacks “will return to the forefront” as long as the fighting continues in Gaza.
Israeli hostage dies in captivity. Kibbutz Nir Oz announced on Tuesday morning the death of one of its residents, Avraham Munder, aged 79 years old and detained in the Gaza Strip since October 7. On Monday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he wanted to release a “maximum number of hostages alive” as soon as the first phase of the American ceasefire plan is implemented, if it is adopted.
Strikes around the Lebanese border. Several salvos of rockets were fired against Israeli army positions on the Golan Heights, the Lebanese Hezbollah announced on Tuesday, in “retaliate” to those suffered the day before in eastern Lebanon. The Israeli army had declared that it had targeted “a number of Hezbollah weapons storage facilities“Earlier in the day, an Israeli soldier and two fighters from the Lebanese organization were killed near the border.