Israel, through mediators Egypt and Qatar, has made a proposal to Hamas that calls for a pause in fighting for up to two months as part of a multi-stage deal that includes the release of the remaining hostages in Gaza. This is reported by Axios, citing several sources.
According to reports from Axios, Israel is awaiting a response from Hamas to the proposal and is cautiously optimistic about the possibility of making progress in the coming days. The proposal calls for the release of all living hostages and the bodies of the deceased. In the first phase, women, men over 60 years of age and hostages with difficult health conditions would be released. In subsequent phases, female soldiers, non-military men under 60, soldiers and the bodies of deceased hostages would be released instead. The multi-stage proposal could lead to a pause in fighting for up to two months. The proposal also calls for Israel and Hamas to agree in advance how many Palestinian prisoners should be released for each Israeli hostage, and then negotiate separately on the names of the prisoners.
Video Israel, relatives of the hostages attack the Knesset
A group of family members of Israeli hostages in the Gaza Strip broke into the Knesset Finance Committee this morning and demanded urgent action to release those abducted from the Gaza Strip. The group is part of the protest that has been taking place near Netanyahu's residence in Jerusalem since yesterday evening. They criticize the protest for doing nothing to bring the hostages home “before it is too late.” The group of demonstrators was removed from the commission, which however stopped its work.
In Khan Yunis, the army surrounds the Nasser hospital
High tension today Khan Yunis (in the southern Gaza Strip) as Israeli forces gradually advance west, towards the sea, and south, towards Rafah. According to military radio, the Israeli army has surrounded Nasser Hospital and is completing the isolation of the city center. The troops have also reached Al-Aqsa University and are now one kilometer from the Moassi humanitarian area, near the sea, where hundreds of thousands of displaced people are.
The Israeli army besieged the central building of the Red Crescent in Khan Yunis (south of Gaza) and virtually paralyzed all its activities, including those of the ambulance unit. The Red Crescent announced that tanks surrounded the building and snipers were stationed on the roofs of surrounding buildings. Local sources add that there are thousands of displaced people in the immediate vicinity of the building (eight floors high), unable to move in any direction. The sources add that there are bodies in the surrounding streets, but this information has not yet been confirmed.
According to Israel, Nasser was used by Hamas for military purposes
The Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis (in the southern part of the Gaza Strip), now surrounded by Israeli armored vehicles, was used by Hamas for military purposes, Kan public television said.
The broadcaster cited intelligence information that dozens of hostages had been held there in the past. Recently, Kan added:
Fire was opened on Israeli soldiers from the hospital building.
Borrell: “When will too many deaths in Gaza become too many?” First vote of no confidence by the Labor Party against Bibi since the start of the war
When will too many deaths in Gaza become too many? That is the question that arises EU High Representative Josep Borrell, announcing that the situation will be discussed today in the Foreign Affairs Council. And he emphasizes that from now on we have to talk about a two-state solution.
“The humanitarian situation in Gaza,” says Borrell, “couldn’t be worse, there is no food or medicine and people are under bombardment. Some ministers accept that there are too many civilian casualties, but when is enough enough? Today we will also talk about this.” “This is not the way to conduct a military operation and I say this out of respect for the victims of October 7,” the European representative added.
“From now on we have to talk about a two-state solution and not a peace process, words are important,” explains Josep Borrell upon his arrival at the Foreign Affairs Council. “I know Israel does not agree with this, but it is unacceptable, as the UN Secretary General said. So we have to discuss. What is their solution? Drive people out of Gaza? Kill them all? Israel has been fomenting hatred for generations.” precisely. And “Hamas is one of the obstacles to the two-state solution, but not the only one. We must work with the Arab world and discuss approaches among ourselves in order to make progress.”
Hamas, 25,295 dead since the start of the war.
In the meantime, the Israeli Workers' Party, 4 of 120 seats in the Knesset, will today submit a motion of no confidence – the first since the start of the war – against the government of Benjamin Netanyahu for “failing to bring home the hostages held by Hamas in Gaza.” . The party made this clear by emphasizing that “the government is not making the necessary decisions to save and bring them back.” Labor – led by Merav Michaeli – said it expects opposition parties to “support the no-confidence motion” even if the chances of it being passed are slim.
The EU presidency calls for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza
“On behalf of Belgium and the EU Presidency, the message I will deliver today is clear: We demand an immediate ceasefirethe release of the hostages, respect for international law, the return to the peace process that must lead to the creation of the two states,” said the Belgian Foreign Minister Hadja Lahbib before the Foreign Affairs Council. “There is a clear risk of regionalization of the conflict. The violence must also stop in the West Bank. “We hope to be able to organize a peace conference in Brussels in the more or less near future that can really reinvigorate the political dialogue,” he underlined.
Jordan: “The EU must call for a ceasefire and move forward with the two states”
“We expect the EU to call for a ceasefire and work with us on a concrete plan for the two-state solution, now is the time.” Ayman Hussein Abdullah Al Safadi said this: Jordanian Foreign Minister. “Israel's policies condemn the region to years of conflict: the world is for the two-state solution and Israel is challenging the international community, it is time.”
To take action, peace must be enforced,” he added.
“Israel is undermining the two-state solution. The only way to ensure security for everyone is the two-state solution. The Israeli government has said no, thereby questioning the international order,” added Jordan’s foreign minister, present in Brussels along with his Egyptian counterpart, the Saudi foreign minister and the heads of Israeli and Palestinian diplomacy.
Sejourné: “I hope that sanctions against violent settlers in the West Bank will soon be imposed”
“I hope that in the next few days sanctions will be imposed against violent Israeli settlers in the West Bank. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's words on the two-state solution are worrying: we need the creation of a Palestinian state with security guarantees for all.” The French Foreign Minister said this: Stephane Sejournein Brussels.
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