Unstable ceasefire proposed by the United States and accepted by Israel, but rejected by the Islamist group for lack of guarantees on the permanent end of the conflict. Also freezing any progress are the 22 new Israeli settlements authorized in the West Bank.
By: Paola Simonetti – Vatican News
Published Date:
A 60-day ceasefire, the release of 10 hostages still alive, and the return of 18 bodies, with Israel’s commitment to release 125 Palestinian life-term prisoners, 1,111 Gaza citizens detained since the beginning of the war, and 180 bodies of Palestinians held by Israeli authorities. These are the pillars of the new ceasefire proposal in the Gaza Strip put forward by the United States, which Israel has already accepted but Hamas has rejected, stating that they will continue to evaluate the possibilities. The Islamist group froze the proposal due to the lack of guarantee that the ceasefire is permanent and the willingness to continue talks beyond 60 days without Israel unilaterally violating the ceasefire, as they did last time in March.
New settlements in the West Bank
Israel’s official approval of 22 new settlements in the West Bank, considered illegal by the international community, has further escalated tensions. The approval includes new settlements and the regularization of several unauthorized outposts. Hamas has called the operation “a blatant challenge to international will and a serious violation of UN resolutions.” The United Kingdom also condemned Israel, stating, “Settlements are illegal under international law, further jeopardizing the two-state solution and not protecting Israel.” The UN spokesperson, Stephane Dujarric, emphasized that Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has “repeatedly called on Israel to cease all settler activities in the West Bank. These settlements are illegal and obstruct peace and socio-economic development.”
Israeli attacks
Meanwhile, the Israeli offensive in the Strip continues: according to Hamas data, 44 people have been killed in Israeli raids in the last few hours, including 23 deaths in an airstrike on a house in the Bureij refugee camp. Israeli operations are also targeting healthcare facilities: patients and medical personnel were forcibly evacuated from Al-Awda hospital, the last operational hospital in the northern area, according to local sources. Israel is mourning the death of young Ravid Chaim, who survived his mother’s murder two weeks ago when she was shot by a Palestinian terrorist in the West Bank while pregnant.
