“From today, UN aid trucks will undergo security checks and be taken directly to Gaza through Kerem Shalom in order to fulfill our agreement with the United States,” said the Israeli agency COGAT, responsible for contacts with the Palestinians and under the Ministry of Defense, said on Sunday. Officials shared a photo of trucks lined up. According to the AFP news agency, a first convoy also crossed the border. The AFP referred to information from a Red Crescent official.
The opening in the southeast of the Gaza Strip, near the border with Egypt, aims to increase the amount of aid, Israeli officials said. The security cabinet in Israel provisionally approved the opening of the border crossing last week. The aim is to reduce the burden on the Egyptian border crossing from Rafah towards Gaza. Before the war, Kerem Shalom was used as a transit point for goods to the Gaza Strip. Since October 7, Kerem Shalom was used to check trucks before they were sent to Rafah.
1.9 million people on the run
However, the situation of the Palestinian civilian population in Gaza remains catastrophic. Gaza's main hospital, Shifa, heavily damaged, is only “minimally functional” and urgently needs to be able to resume at least the most basic functions “to continue serving the thousands of people in need of life-saving medical care”, said the WHO. on Sunday . Only a handful of doctors, a few nurses and 70 volunteers would work at the hospital in “incredibly difficult” conditions.
According to the United Nations Palestine Relief Agency (UNRWA), almost 1.9 million people are fleeing the Gaza Strip – more than 85 percent of the population.
Appeals from Berlin and London
Given the situation of the civilian population, pressure on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government continues to grow. German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and her British counterpart David Cameron called for increased international efforts for a “sustainable ceasefire” in the Gaza Strip in a joint opinion piece on Sunday.
“Hamas wants us trapped in an endless cycle of violence. Our goal cannot simply be an end to the current fighting. It must be a lasting peace for generations. Therefore, we support a ceasefire, but only if it is sustainable.”
✍️ @David Cameron
✍️ @ABaerbockhttps://t.co/nVvLRs6o44– The Times and The Sunday Times (@thetimes) December 16, 2023
“We must all do everything we can to pave the way for a sustainable ceasefire that leads to sustainable peace,” Baerbock and Cameron wrote in the op-ed published in the Sunday Times and Welt am Sonntag. “Too many civilians have already died” in the conflict.
“Ceasefire if permanent”
However, Cameron and Baerbock did not speak out in favor of an immediate ceasefire – although they demonstrated understanding for such demands. However, an immediate ceasefire would ignore the reason Israel is forced to defend itself in the first place. “Hamas savagely attacked Israel and continues to fire rockets every day to kill Israeli citizens,” the comment read.
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How does October 7th change the Middle East?
“Our objective cannot simply be an end to today’s fighting. It must be a peace that lasts days, years, generations. Therefore, we support a ceasefire, but only if it is permanent,” says the guest article.
US President Joe Biden has previously called on Israel to show more consideration for the civilian population. Following talks with the Israeli leadership, the US government recently expressed the expectation that Israel would move from “high-intensity” military action to “more targeted” operations.
France wants an immediate ceasefire
In contrast to her German and British counterparts, French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna called on Sunday for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.
She also asked for clarification about the death of an employee of her ministry in Rafah. “We are awaiting clarification,” she said after meeting with Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen in Tel Aviv. According to Itamaraty, the employee died after an Israeli attack on a residential building in Rafah. No information was provided about the employee's name, nationality and age.
Protests after the death of hostages
Calls for a more cautious approach by the Israeli army have also become louder in Israel. Especially after it became known before the weekend that the army had accidentally killed three hostages. According to the army, the three men themselves were holding a white flag.
On Saturday, many family members of hostages again called for a halt to fighting at a demonstration in Tel Aviv, in order to allow the hostages to be released. According to Israeli estimates, 112 hostages remain detained in the Gaza Strip.
Netanyahu: “More determined than ever”
Netanyahu indicated at a press conference Saturday night that new negotiations were underway to free hostages. At the same time, however, he made clear that Israel would maintain its hard line. Israel is “more determined than ever” in war.
Israel: talks about hostage release
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has indicated that there are further discussions about the release of hostages by Hamas. More recently, three Israeli hostages were accidentally killed by the Israeli military.
The army will continue the war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip until “total victory”. Military pressure on Hamas must be maintained. Only in this way will it be possible to defeat them and guarantee the return of all those kidnapped.