Gazans mark Eid al-Adha in rubble; Hamas chief ‘prepared’ to make cease-fire deal

As Muslim households noticed the non secular vacation, which indicators the tip of the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca, the World Meals Program warned that no less than 1 million individuals within the enclave’s south had been trapped “with out clear water or sanitation.” UNRWA, the U.N. company for Palestinians, mentioned that greater than 50,000 kids in Gaza are in want of therapy for acute malnutrition, and Docs With out Borders mentioned that some had been surviving on “pigeon meals.”

The arrival of summer season warmth can also be compounding the threats of violence, starvation and thirst that displaced Gazan civilians already confronted, support teams mentioned. UNICEF spokesman James Elder mentioned the onset of excessive temperatures within the enclave — the place it’s forecast to surpass 90 levels Fahrenheit later this week — added a brand new dimension to the unfolding humanitarian catastrophe. “It’s sizzling,” Elder mentioned in a video shared Saturday from a tent camp in Khan Younis. “The warmth right here merely additional will increase that hardship on kids.”

On Sunday, Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh marked Eid al-Adha with an tackle to Palestinians that framed Hamas’s response to cease-fire negotiations as “constant” with the ideas underpinning the U.S.–backed proposal. Final week, Secretary of State Antony Blinken mentioned that a few of the modifications proposed by the militant group had been “not workable.”

In his speech, Haniyeh mentioned: “What we gave to the mediators is in keeping with the ideas proposed by Biden and with the Safety Council decision … we’re able to conclude an settlement that features a everlasting cease-fire and withdrawal of Israelis.”

On Tuesday, Hamas mentioned it submitted to Qatari and Egyptian mediators its response to the cease-fire proposal outlined by President Biden final month, which the United Nations Safety Council individually authorised in a uncommon diplomatic victory on Gaza for the Biden administration within the U.N. physique. In its response, the militant group mentioned it emphasised the necessity for full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.

If agreed on, the U.S.-backed plan would start with a whole cease-fire lasting six weeks. Throughout that interval, Israeli forces would withdraw from populated areas, Hamas would launch all girls, kids, aged and wounded hostages, Palestinians could be allowed to return to their properties all through Gaza and the enclave could be flooded with humanitarian support.

Though Israel mentioned it “licensed” the U.S.-backed plan, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and different members of his authorities have publicly objected to sure parts of it, and Netanyahu has indicated that he intends to proceed navy operations till all parts of Hamas are destroyed.

On Sunday, the Israel Protection Forces introduced a every day, restricted “tactical pause” of navy actions alongside a route in southern Gaza to safeguard the movement of humanitarian support inside the enclave, starting at 8 a.m. and ending at 7 p.m. every day “till additional discover.” In its assertion, the IDF mentioned it started pausing navy exercise on Saturday “alongside the highway that leads from the Kerem Shalom Crossing to the Salah al-Din Highway after which northwards.” The IDF later clarified that there’s “no cessation of combating” elsewhere in southern Gaza, together with Rafah.

Scott Anderson, the director of UNRWA, mentioned the pause is “very welcome” however cautioned that “this isn’t a cease-fire” as navy operations are ongoing in southern Gaza.

“Up to now couple of weeks, we’ve had incidents the place there may be kinetic exercise fairly near our convoy — as shut as 100 meters, which is horrifying,” he mentioned in an interview. “We welcome this [tactical pause] and hope that it’s going to permit us to maneuver freely forwards and backwards” from the border crossing, he mentioned.

For over a month, support organizations have struggled to get meals, gas and different provides into Gaza after Israel’s navy operation in Rafah shut the territory’s major border crossing with Egypt.

Since then, some support vans have been allowed to enter by way of the smaller Kerem Shalom crossing, and different crossings within the north have been reopened, however the quantity stays inadequate to satisfy the necessity in Gaza after over seven months of conflict. On Friday, the Pentagon introduced it could “quickly relocate” a floating pier constructed by the U.S. navy off Gaza’s coast to complement support deliveries, after beforehand suspending its use due to tough seas.

Anderson mentioned the pier has to date did not complement support deliveries into Gaza in a significant approach. “It didn’t transfer the needle,” he mentioned.

After Israeli media reported that the announcement prompted confusion amongst Gazans over whether or not the pause amounted to a cessation of all hostilities, the IDF clarified in a subsequent assertion that the pauses would happen solely alongside a hall.

“There isn’t a cessation of combating within the southern Gaza Strip, and the combating in Rafah continues,” the assertion learn.

Negotiators for Qatar and Egypt plan to renew talks with Hamas leaders over Biden’s cease-fire proposal, Reuters reported Saturday, citing White Home nationwide safety adviser Jake Sullivan on the sidelines of the Ukrainian peace summit in Switzerland. “We anticipate a back-and-forth between the mediators and Hamas. We’ll see the place we stand at that time,” Sullivan reportedly mentioned. “We are going to hold consulting with the Israelis after which hopefully sooner or later subsequent week we’ll be capable of report back to you the place we predict issues stand and what we see as being the following step to attempt to convey this to closure.”

The crew of a cargo ship focused by Yemen-based Houthi militants final week issued a misery name Saturday and deserted the ship after being unable to regulate the fires, U.S. Central Command mentioned. The mariners of the MV Verbena — a Palauan-flagged, Ukrainian-owned, Polish-operated service — had been rescued by the MV Anna Meta after a close-by Iranian frigate didn’t reply to the misery name. The MV Verbena was hit on June 13 by two anti-ship cruise missiles because it handed by way of the Gulf of Aden. On Saturday, Centcom mentioned it destroyed seven radars in Yemen utilized by Houthis to focus on maritime vessels.

At the very least ​​37,296 individuals have been killed and 85,197 injured in Gaza for the reason that conflict began, in response to the Gaza Well being Ministry, which doesn’t distinguish between civilians and combatants however says the vast majority of the useless are girls and kids. Israel estimates that about 1,200 individuals had been killed in Hamas’s Oct. 7 assault, together with greater than 300 troopers, and it says 308 troopers have been killed for the reason that launch of its navy operations in Gaza.

Suzan Haidamous contributed to this report.