Hamas, the Palestinian militant group, is awaiting Israel's formal response to its acceptance of a 60-day truce proposal. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is under significant pressure to accept the deal, facing growing opposition within the country.
Relatives of freed hostages recently demonstrated in Tel Aviv, briefly blocking a major highway. They demanded a deal to release the remaining captives held by Hamas in Gaza and protested Israel's plans to expand military control of Gaza City. The demonstrators displayed banners and chanted slogans urging a deal and an end to the conflict.
However, some Israeli officials are against a partial deal. National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir rejected any partial agreements, urging Netanyahu to pursue the complete destruction of Hamas. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich stated that Israel cannot concede, as Hamas is easing its demands due to the planned Israeli offensive in Gaza City.
The Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesperson confirmed that Qatar and Egypt had received a positive response from Hamas to a ceasefire proposal. The spokesperson also mentioned that there was no set timeframe for Israel's response and that the proposal largely reflected what the Israelis had previously agreed upon.
The proposal reportedly includes a prisoner exchange deal, involving the release of Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners.
Despite these developments, the United Nations human rights office has stated that Israel is not doing enough to prevent widespread starvation in Gaza. A UN spokesperson noted that the amount of aid allowed into Gaza remains insufficient to address the crisis.
On World Humanitarian Day, the President of the Palestine Red Crescent Society highlighted that Palestinian humanitarian workers have been deliberately targeted, emphasizing the need for the international community to protect humanitarians and hold states accountable.
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