An agreement that leads to a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip appears increasingly difficult and the release of the hostages. At least that’s what a high-level Israeli diplomatic source, who remained anonymous, suggested when interviewed by Canale 12. According to the source, Israel has gone “as far as possible” with its current proposal for an agreement and now “the ball is in the Hamas camp.”
“If Hamas does its part, Israel will stop the war within the terms of the agreementas well as the release of all hostages,” the source continued, noting however that Qatar and Egypttwo of the mediating countries, they do not have sufficient influence on the head of Hamas in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar, to convince him to accept the proposal. According to the source, “there is nothing more to discuss” on the Israeli side.
Dozens killed in raid on Gaza City
It’s at least 25 Palestinians killed in an airstrike conducted from the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) seenear the office of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Gaza. The ICRC itself declared this, recalling that hundreds of Palestinians had found refuge in tents near the office.
According to the Gaza City Ministry of Health, there were also 50 injured in the attack which ”hit the tents of displaced people in the al-Mawasi area”. This area has been classified by Israel as a ”safe” humanitarian zone, the Guardian recalls, and thousands of people have taken refuge here from Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip.
42 dead in Israeli raid on al-Shati and al-Tuffah refugee camps
At least 42 Palestinians were killed in attacks carried out by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) against the al-Shati refugee camp and against al-Tuffah district in Gaza, the Gaza government’s communications office told al Jazeera.
US support for Israel in case of total war with Hezbollah
Meanwhile The United States has made it clear to Israel that it will support it should it lead to all-out war with Hezbollah. CNN reports this, citing a senior US official according to whom representatives of the Biden Administration reassured a delegation of senior Israeli officials visiting Washington this week to this effect. And this while attacks on the border between Israel and Lebanon in recent weeks have increased concerns about the possible outbreak of another conflict in the Middle East.
Speaking about Hezbollah’s provocations, US officials made it clear in person that the Biden Administration will offer Israel the security assistance it needs, the senior US official told CNN on condition of anonymity. The United States, he then made clear, would not deploy American troops on the ground in such a scenario.
The meeting was attended by senior Israeli officials, including Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer and National Security Advisor Tzachi Hanegbi. On the US side, among others, national security advisor Jake Sullivan, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and White House coordinator for Middle East affairs Brett McGurk were present in Washington.
