Israeli strikes on Gaza, Hamas discusses ceasefire in Egypt | EUROtoday
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L’Israeli military bombs the south of the Gaza Strip this Friday, December 29 whereas a Hamas delegation is predicted in Egypt to debate a ceasefire challenge additionally offering for the discharge of hostages within the arms of the Palestinian Islamist motion . During the evening from Thursday to Friday, Israeli forces elevated strikes within the Gaza Strip, notably on Rafah, the place Palestinians rushed into piles of rubble seeking survivors.
“We were sitting quietly (at home, editor’s note) and suddenly we heard a loud explosion and debris started falling on us,” Tayseer Abou Al-Eish instructed AFP. “The apartment was completely destroyed and my daughters were screaming. There were several victims (…) we are trying to get the neighbors out of the rubble but there are martyrs.” And south of Jerusalem, a Palestinian injured two Israelis in a knife assault earlier than being shot himself, in accordance with police and rescuers, with Hamas hailing a “heroic operation” carried out in “response” to the scenario in Gaza.
Discussions in Cairo
A Hamas delegation is predicted in Cairo on Friday to debate a three-step Egyptian plan that gives for renewable truces, staggered releases of Palestinian hostages and prisoners and, in the end, a ceasefire ending hostilities . The warfare, triggered by the bloody assault launched on October 7 by the Palestinian Islamist motion towards Israel, left 21,320 lifeless in Gaza, nearly all of them girls and minors, in accordance with the Hamas administration’s Health Ministry. .
In Israel, the assault by Hamas commandos left round 1,140 lifeless, most of them civilians, in accordance with an AFP depend primarily based on the newest official Israeli figures. Around 250 individuals had been kidnapped by Hamas, 129 of whom stay detained in Gaza, in accordance with the Israeli military which has sworn, in retaliation for the October 7 assaults, to “destroy” the Islamist motion in energy since 2007 in Gaza.
In Cairo, the Hamas delegation will transmit to the Egyptians “the response of the Palestinian factions, which includes several observations, to their plan”, instructed AFP an official of the Islamist motion requesting anonymity. These observations relate particularly “to the modalities of the planned exchanges and the number of Palestinian pioneers who will be released, and to obtaining guarantees for a total Israeli military withdrawal from the Gaza Strip”, added this official. “We are in contact (with the mediators, editor’s note) at this very moment. I cannot provide further details. We are working to bring them all back. This is our objective,” declared Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu throughout a gathering Thursday in Tel Aviv with households of hostages.
The inhabitants of Gaza in “great danger”
Presented because the oldest girl held hostage within the Gaza Strip, Israeli-American hostage Judith Weinstein Haggai, 70, was introduced lifeless Thursday by her kibbutz, Nir Oz, positioned simply on the sting of the Gaza Strip. Gaza. This mom of 4 youngsters, grandmother of seven grandchildren and English instructor for kids with particular academic wants, in accordance with her kibbutz, had grown up in Toronto and in addition held Canadian citizenship. Earlier this week, her kibbutz introduced the dying of her husband Gadi Haggai, 73, additionally a hostage in Gaza the place their stays are believed to nonetheless be.
The inhabitants of Gaza stays in “great danger”, warns the World Health Organization (WHO), affirming that “hunger and despair” are worsening within the territory the place, in accordance with the UN, almost two million individuals (85% of the inhabitants) had been displaced. Many fled a number of instances, pushed onto the roads by the advance of preventing from north to south and evacuation orders from the Israeli military, with out nevertheless escaping the incessant bombings.
Humanitarian help, the entry of which is managed by Israel, solely arrives in very restricted portions regardless of the vote on a Security Council decision on December 22. Israel introduced on Thursday its settlement “in principle” with Cyprus for the opening of a maritime humanitarian hall between the island and the besieged Palestinian territory.
A potential “expansion of the fighting”
The battle in Gaza has reignited tensions throughout the Middle East, notably on Israel’s northern border with Lebanon, the place the Israeli normal employees has spoken of a potential “expansion of fighting”. The Israeli military reported quite a few pictures from southern Lebanon in direction of northern Israel, the place warning sirens sounded a number of instances within the afternoon on Thursday, and introduced strikes on “positions » of Hezbollah.
And late Thursday evening, the Syrian Defense Ministry announced an Israeli strike near Damascus and in the south of the country. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, the strikes particularly targeted the area around Damascus international airport, barely 24 hours after the resumption of flights suspended since an Israeli attack at the end of November. Israel, which rarely comments on these allegations, has increased strikes in Syria in recent years, targeting forces there supported by Iran. However, Iran has threatened Israel with “direct actions and others carried out by the entrance of the resistance” after the dying on Monday, in a missile assault in Syria that he blames on Israel, of Razi Moussavi, a normal of the Revolutionary Guards whose funeral passed off Thursday in Tehran.
Another entrance on this increasing battle: Yemen, from the place the Houthi rebels, allies of Tehran, are growing their fireplace in direction of the Red Sea to decelerate worldwide maritime visitors in “support” of Gaza. The US Navy shot down a drone and an anti-ship missile fired by the Houthis within the Red Sea on Thursday night.
https://www.lepoint.fr/monde/frappes-israeliennes-sur-gaza-le-hamas-discute-cessez-le-feu-en-egypte-29-12-2023-2548562_24.php#xtor=RSS-221