what to remember from Sunday February 25

Bombings continued on Sunday in Rafah, as well as in other locations in the Gaza Strip.

Benjamin Netanyahu estimated, in an interview with CBS on Sunday February 25, that a military offensive in Rafah would guarantee Israel being “a few weeks” of a “total victory” on Hamas. Bombings continued in this city and in other locations in the Gaza Strip, bringing the death toll from the conflict to 29,692, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health. Here’s what to remember from Sunday.

UNRWA says famine can be ‘avoidable’ in Gaza

A famine can still be “avoided” in Gaza if Israel allows humanitarian agencies to bring in more aid, the head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), Philippe Lazzarini, pleaded on Sunday. According to the UN, 2.2 million people, the vast majority of the population, are threatened with famine in the Gaza Strip. Severe food shortages could lead to “blast” of infant mortality in the north of the territory, where one in six children under the age of two is a victim of acute malnutrition.

“It is a man-made catastrophe (…) The world has pledged to never allow famine again”wrote Philippe Lazzarini on the social network “Famine can still be avoided by genuine political will to grant access and protection to meaningful aid.”

Negotiations on a truce are progressing, according to Washington

Discussions on a potential agreement that would make it possible to reach a truce in Gaza progressed during the latest discussions in Paris, Jake Sullivan, White House national security adviser, said on Sunday. “It is true that the representatives of Israel, the United States, Egypt and Qatar (…) reached common ground between the four of them regarding the contours” of a possible agreement on the release of the hostages and “a temporary ceasefire”he said on CNN.

“I’m not going to go into the details of that because they’re still being negotiated.”added Jake Sullivan. “There should be indirect discussions between Qatar and Egypt with Hamas, because in the end, they will have to agree to the release of the hostages. This work is ongoing, he assured. We hope that in the coming days we can get to the point where there is actually a solid and final agreement on this issue.”

Tel Aviv announces the death of a soldier, whose body is being held in Gaza

The Israeli military confirmed Sunday that a 19-year-old soldier, Oz Daniel, was killed during the October 7 Hamas attacks. According to the IDF, his remains are currently being held by the Islamist group in the Gaza Strip. This brings to 31 the number of hostages whose bodies are being held in Palestinian territory.

The Families Forum, the main organization of relatives of hostages kidnapped on October 7, paid tribute in a press release to a young man “who loved life, people and had an infectious smile and sense of humor”. Oz Daniel, who played guitar and was a fan of the band Guns N’Roses, “believed in the power of music to change the world”, specified the Forum. Despite the absence of remains, a funeral will be held on Monday in Kfar Saba, where the young man lived.

Netanyahu assures that a truce would only “delay” the offensive in Rafah

“Total victory is within our reach, not within a few months, but within a few weeks, when we begin the operation” military in Rafah, Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday during an interview with the American channel CBS. According to the Israeli Prime Minister, this southern city is the “last bastion” of Hamas. The leader is determined, despite international protests, to launch a ground offensive there. “If we have an agreement [sur une trêve]it will be delayed in some way, but it will happen”he said about this military operation.

Benyamin Netanyahu specified that he would meet military officials on Sunday to present him with a “double plan, a plan to evacuate [la population] and a plan to dismantle the remaining battalions” of Hamas fighters. “There is room” so that civilians “go north of Rafah, to the areas where we finished the fight”, declared the Israeli Prime Minister. According to the UN, nearly 1.5 million people are massed in this city on the border with Egypt, in catastrophic humanitarian conditions.