US Secretary of State, Anthony Blinkenwent on a trip for the third time Israel Countdown begins for the return of violence Gaza Strip. After extreme negotiations to extend the ceasefire, Hebrew officials and Hamas This Thursday, just 10 minutes before the deadline, they agreed to extend it for another day. It remains to be seen whether they will push it to the limit to continue overtime this Friday morning. During his visit, Blinken called for this to be continued because “it is yielding results,” as he celebrated in front of the Israeli president: Isaac Herzog. He also reminded Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of the “obligation to take into account humanitarian and civilian protection needs.” southern Gaza Before any military operations are carried out there” and urging “Israel to take all possible measures to avoid harming civilians”, he warned the war cabinet that clashes would also escalate if the conflict spreads towards the south of the Strip. International pressure on Israel. On the so-called last day of the ceasefire, two more hostages were released; one of them is a French citizen and starred in the first Hamas prisoner video released since October 7.
Blinken returned to the Hebrew State to reiterate the message that most concerns the administration of US President Joe Biden. There is fear in Washington, as Netanyahu has repeatedly stated that the Israeli Army will redouble its attacks on the Gaza Strip once the ceasefire ends: Civilian deaths are increasingSince South And centre Gaza now includes 80% of residents After Israel ordered more than a million Palestinians to leave northern Gaza to avoid being caught up in the conflict in that area. He put it this way John KirbyStrategic Communications Coordinator National Security Council From the White House: “We do not support operations in the south until the Israelis prove they are responding to all internally displaced persons in Gaza.”
Blinken told Israeli war cabinet members that if Israel does not agree to this, Measures to reduce harm to civilians The next phase of hostilities in the Gaza Strip will take several weeks to complete. He asked them how long they thought the conflict in the south would last after the ceasefire, and warned that if there was widespread harm to civilians or the region turned into a major humanitarian disaster, the United States and other Western countries would shorten the time it takes for Western intervention. It can continue to support Israel without reservation. During their meeting, Blinken and Netanyahu agreed to “release all remaining hostages and accelerate the distribution of humanitarian aid Life-saving criticism in Gaza.
Although Blinken reiterated his support for “Israel’s right to protect itself from terrorist violence in accordance with international humanitarian law,” he demanded that the country “take immediate measures against it.” hold extremist settlers accountable Because of the violence against Palestinians in the West Bank.” He traveled there after meeting with Israeli leaders to meet the head of the Palestinian Authority (PA). Mahmoud Abbas. In Ramallah, Blinken insisted that America was committed to “taking concrete steps to address a problem.” Palestinian state” and discussed “measures to increase the security and freedom of Palestinians in the West Bank.” For his part, Abbas demonstrated his willingness to have the Palestinian Authority take control of Gaza the next day.
247 Palestinians were killed
Until Wednesday night one hundred hostagesSome 75 Israelis and 24 foreigners left Gaza in exchange for the release of more than 100 people. 200 Palestinian prisonersChildren and women in Israeli prisons. Since the beginning of the ceasefire, more than one 1,100 humanitarian aid trucks The Palestinian Red Crescent reported that they entered the Palestinian enclave through the Rafah border crossing with Egypt, but the Gaza Government’s press office said the flow of humanitarian aid was “slow, ineffective and complicated” and requested that at least 1,000 trucks per day be sent to the region. day would have to enter the residential area where some had already died 15,000 people. Another 7,000 people are missing or feared to be found buried under rubblecausing the actual death toll to be much higher. Moreover, since 26 of the 35 hospitals in Gaza are out of service, the 36 thousand injured Palestinians have little chance of receiving treatment.
Egyptian and Qatari negotiators They announced that they were pressing for the ceasefire in Gaza to be extended for another two days and for the release of more detainees. A senior Hamas official said, Osama HamdanHe questioned the extension of the ceasefire in an interview with a Lebanese television network El Mayadeen Because Israel’s proposals are not enough to sustain this. “Efforts to extend the ceasefire have not yet matured, and what has been presented to us so far for its extension is not worth examining,” he said. Blinken, Israel’s most loyal ally, told Herzog: “We look forward to having detailed discussions with the Israeli government on this issue. Forward in Gaza“.
By the way this is Thursday Jerusalem It was bloodily reborn in an attack claimed by Hamas in the western part of the city. At least three people died 6 people were injured in the armed attack at a bus stop at the entrance of the city. Israeli security forces killed two attackers.
Moreover, Occupied West BankThe ceasefire never came. Palestinian Ministry of Health announced Death of 21-year-old teenager Person shot by Israeli soldiers near Ofer prison during the release of Palestinian prisoners. Fadi BadranThe man, who was from the city of Beitunia where the prison headquarters is located, was not one of the released prisoners. Palestinian news agency WAFA reported that Israeli security forces entered the neighborhoods near the prison and clashes broke out between them and Palestinian citizens. At least 247 Palestinians have been killed in the occupied Palestinian territories since October 7. On average every day in the last two months, Israeli soldiers and radical settlers kill more than four Palestinians.