Antony Blinken, the US Secretary of State, completed his ninth Middle East tour since the Gaza war’s onset without securing a ceasefire agreement. Although both Israel and Hamas indicate remaining hurdles, Blinken emphasised the necessity of urgency in a Tuesday warning.
Blinken drew attention to potential negotiations after discussions in Egypt and Qatar, other mediator nations. He stated that the focus now shifts to bringing Hamas on board as Israel has approved a proposal to close gaps with the militant faction, with crucial implementation details needing agreement from both parties.
“We have a straightforward, clear, and pressing message,” Blinken expressed to journalists before his Qatar departure. “We must finalise a ceasefire and hostage agreement immediately – time is critical.”
Recent targeted assassinations of Hamas and Hizbullah militant leaders in Iran and Lebanon, ascribed to Israel, alongside threats of counterattacks stirring a broader regional war fears, have escalated the need for a deal.
Information about the bridging proposal introduced by the US, Egypt, and Qatar has been sparse. Blinken indicated that it clearly details the timings and sites of Israeli military’s Gaza pullouts.
Earlier on Tuesday, Hamas branded the most recent proposal as backtracking from prior agreements, accusing the US of capitulating to fresh Israeli demands. The US has not yet issued a response.
Meanwhile, Israel’s Prime Minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, conducted meetings with right-wing family groups of fallen soldiers and Gaza hostages. These groups, fundamentally against a ceasefire agreement, claimed that Netanyahu reassured them that Israel would not give up two strategic Gaza corridors, a factor that has hindered negotiations. Netanyahu’s office has yet to comment.
Claims from an esteemed US official dismissed reports that Mr. Netanyahu informed Mr. Blinken of Israel’s firm intent to retain both the Netzarim and Philadelphi corridors, as completely false. The official stressed such declarations do not contribute positively to successful ceasefire negotiations.
Mr. Blinken engaged in deliberations in Egypt, neighbouring Gaza, and Qatar, which provides refuge for several exiled Hamas leaders. These meetings occurred just a day post his meeting with Mr. Netanyahu. However, sizeable differences between Israel and Hamas seem to persist. It is not uncommon for heated exchanges to be utilised as bargaining tools throughout negotiation processes.
The news of Mr. Netanyahu’s encounter with affected families arrived simultaneously with an announcement from Israel’s armed forces stating they had located the bodies of six hostages from the Hamas-initiated October 7th assault which triggered the war, thereby instigating additional sorrow among numerous Israelis. These citizens have been advocating for a ceasefire with Mr. Netanyahu that would ensure the safe return of remaining hostages.
Another wave of protests arose on Tuesday. One demonstrator, Adi Israeli, proclaimed in Tel Aviv, “As their stay increases, so does the count of body bags.”
An overnight operation spearheaded by Israel’s military in the southern region of Gaza led to the successful recovery of the six bodies. These individuals were reportedly killed while forces carried out operations in Khan Younis. Contrarily, Hamas contends that Israeli airstrikes were fatal for some captives, whilst others returning from captivity complained of challenging circumstances including scarcity of food and medication.
The retrieval of these remains constitutes a setback to Hamas’s plans of a potential hostage exchange for Palestinian prisoners, Israeli retraction and a sustained ceasefire.
The recovered bodies were identified as belonging to Chaim Perry (80); Yoram Metzger (80); Avraham Munder (79); Alexander Dancy (76); Nadav Popplewell (51); and Yagev Buchshtav (35) by the military.
Mr Munder, a resident of Kibbutz Nir Oz, is said to have lost his life due to prolonged physical and psychological torment. Israeli authorities had previously confirmed the demise of the other five.
Post the fatal October 7th attack, which resulted in roughly 1,200 deaths primarily affecting civilians, Hamas is suspected to have detained around 110 hostages. Israeli authorities speculate a third of these individuals have perished. In last year’s ceasefire, over 100 hostages saw freedom in a swap for Palestinians incarcerated in Israel.
The recent counter-attack by Israel has resulted in over 40,000 Palestinian fatalities, says Gaza’s Health Ministry, which doesn’t distinguish between civilians and combatants in its toll. The war has inflicted extensive damage and compelled almost all of Gaza’s 2.3 million citizens to evacuate their residences on several occasions. Humanitarian organizations are concerned about the possible emergence of polio and other illnesses.
A school repurposed as a refuge in Gaza City was struck by an Israeli air assault on Tuesday, causing at least 12 fatalities. According to the Palestinian Civil Defence, an emergency service under the control of the Hamas government, approximately 700 individuals had taken shelter in the Mustafa Hafez school at the time. The Israeli military stated that the attack was aimed at Hamas militants who had established a command post within the premises.
A woman, Um Khalil Abu Agwa, who had been displaced shared her fears about whereabouts they could take their children for shelter. Another Israeli air raid in Deir al-Balah targeted pedestrians, taking the lives of seven people, comprising a woman and two children. This was confirmed by a journalist from the Associated Press who was present at the scene. Central Gaza witnessed another aerial attack which claimed the lives of a mother and her five children, as reported by Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital and confirmed by an AP reporter.
Palestinians that have been displaced due to recent Israeli batch of evacuation orders are crammed into already overcrowded zones. In Deir al-Balah, a young boy had to sleep on cardboard with insects flying around his face. Another displaced individual, Abu Shady Afana, expressed his anxiety about the potential of being buried or cast into the sea.