Israel launched a strike on a Gaza school believed to be harbouring a Hamas base last Thursday, resulting in the death of the militants who were involved in the attack on the 7th of October which ignited an eight-month long war. However, according to the press in Gaza, the strike led to the death of at least 27 individuals seeking refuge. Ismail Al-Thawabta, who heads the governmental media office run by Hamas, brushed off the allegations by Israel that a Hamas command centre was concealed within the UN school based in the central Gaza location of Nuseirat. He conveyed to Reuters that Israel was making false claims to justify their brutal act against the displaced civilians.
Israeli forces stated that preventive measures were undertaken by them to minimise civilian casualties before the fighter jets led the strike. From my place in Tel Aviv, it is a challenge to comprehend the lack of empathy among various Israelis towards the Gaza massacre. Israel has declared that military activities wouldn’t halt during peace negotiations.
In what seems to be a setback to a ceasefire proposition presented by US President Joe Biden last week, Hamas head, on Wednesday, expressed that a lasting halting of the Gaza war along with an Israeli withdrawal would be demanded by the group as a part of a ceasefire plan. Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh’s statements seems to be the response of the Palestinian militant group to President Biden’s proposition laid out last week. There was anticipation in Washington for the response from Hamas on what was referred to as an Israeli initiative by Mr Biden.
Mr Haniyeh affirmed that any agreement concluding the offence comprehensively, entirely withdrawing and engaging in a prisoner swap will be seriously and affirmatively addressed by the resistance movement and factions. When enquired if these statements were the group’s response to Mr Biden, a top Hamas official responded with a “thumbs-up” emoji to a Reuters text message.
CIA director William Burns discussed the ceasefire proposal with top officials from mediator nations Qatar and Egypt in Doha on Wednesday, indicating Washington’s relentless pursuit for an agreement. Post a momentary truce in November lasting a week, all endeavours to orchestrate ceasefire have collapsed, with Hamas remaining firm on their demand for a lasting resolution to the conflict, while Israel proposes to discuss only temporary breaks till the militant group is overcome.
While US President Biden has framed offers of a ceasefire as stemming from Israel, the Israeli government has publicly displayed tepid sentiment. An aide to Israel’s Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu confirmed on Sunday that Israel did propose the ceasefire despite considering it a sub-optimal negotiation. Similarly, far-right members of Netanyahu’s administration have vowed to resign if a peace agreement allows Hamas to continue its rule – a step that could prompt a fresh election and potentially end Netanyahu’s record-breaking stint as Israel’s leader.
Even the moderate figures who initially joined Netanyahu’s war cabinet to project unity at the advent of the conflict have threatened to leave, citing a lack of a strategic plan in his administration. Notably, Defence Minister Yoav Gallant insisted that Israel’s offensive could not be halted even during ceasefire discussions.
A fresh offensive against Hamas in central Gaza was declared by Israel on Wednesday, accompanied by reports from Palestinian medic teams about dozens lost in airstrikes. According to Hamas and Islamic Jihad factions, the past Wednesday also saw gunfights with Israeli troops and elicited anti-tank rocket fire.
Conflictingly, President Biden has stated on multiple occasions in recent months that ceasefires were nearing, yet all have failed to result in actual truces. The recent White House announcement about a pause in fighting came as pressure builds on Netanyahu domestically to find a route to end the ongoing eight-month conflict and secure the release of Israeli captives held by Hamas.
Instigating the conflict last October by launching an attack on Israeli territory, Hamas was responsible for roughly 1,200 deaths and more than 250 individuals being held captive as per Israeli count. About half of these captives were released during the lone ceasefire in November which lasted a week. The Israeli assault on Gaza has resulted in over 36,000 fatalities according to the region’s health officials, who also fear thousands more might currently be buried beneath the rubble.