The leader of the Palestinian movement Hamas, Ismaïl Haniyeh, accused Israel on Sunday May 5 of sabotaging mediation efforts aimed at obtaining a truce in the Gaza Strip associated with an exchange of hostages held in this territory and Palestinians detained by Israel. Negotiations to obtain a ceasefire in the Palestinian enclave resumed in the morning in Cairo (Egypt), in the absence of representatives of the Jewish state. Ismail Haniyeh said in a statement that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wanted “inventing constant justifications for the continuation of aggression, the extension (…) of the conflict and the sabotage of the efforts made by the various mediators and parties”. Follow our live stream.
Hamas will not accept “an agreement” without an end to the conflict. On Saturday, a Palestinian movement official declared, on condition of anonymity, that the Islamist group would not accept “in no case an agreement [de trêve] not explicitly providing for a stop” of the conflict. “Benaymin Netanyahu personally slows down an agreement by personal calculations”accused this official.
“Israel cannot accept” Hamas’ demandssays Benjamin Netanyahu. “When Israel shows its good will, Hamas persists in its extreme positions, led by its demand for the withdrawal of our forces from the Gaza Strip, the end of the war and the preservation of Hamas”continued the Israeli Prime Minister.
Tel Aviv orders Al Jazeera to shut down. Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Sunday the closure of the Qatari channel in Israel. The Israeli Minister of Communications clarified on the social network to have “immediately signed the injunction against Al Jazeera”Who “comes into force immediately”. He added that he had ensured that the channel “can no longer operate from Israel”accusing him of “threaten security” from the country. The Al-Jazeera channel condemned the decision in response “criminal” of Israel.
Israel announces closure of the Kerem Shalom crossing point into Gaza. The Israeli army announced that it had closed the main crossing point for humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip, Kerem Shalom, targeted by rocket fire. “Around ten projectile shots were spotted from an area adjacent to [la localité de] Rafah towards the Kerem Shalom area”says the army in a press release.