Israel-Hamas cease-fire proposal stirs up Gaza battle

Talking throughout a information convention along with his Spanish counterpart, Overseas Minister Sameh Shoukry stated, “Hamas’s preliminary statements point out that it acquired the deal proposal positively, and we’re ready for the Israeli response.”

The proposal has divided public opinion in Israel, the place greater than 100,000 crammed the streets of Tel Aviv this previous weekend in help of the deal, demanding that the Israeli authorities settle for it to hasten the discharge of hostages held in Gaza.

The proposal, nonetheless, additionally raised the ire of members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s far-right coalition, who threatened to carry down the federal government if the deal is accepted.

Opposition chief Yair Lapid, nonetheless, has stated that he would supply backing to Netanyahu’s authorities to maintain it from collapsing if it accepts the deal.

“The Israeli authorities should conform to the Netanyahu proposal and ship a delegation to Cairo immediately to finalize the small print,” he stated. “I’m repeating my supply to offer Netanyahu a political security internet to hold out the deal.”

The People have stated the proposal was initially introduced by Israel and features a six-week halt in preventing, throughout which hostages taken from Israel throughout Hamas’s blitz on Oct. 7 could be launched in phases in alternate for lots of of Palestinian prisoners. There would even be a big enhance in assist shipments allowed into the Gaza Strip, the place assist organizations have warned {that a} humanitarian disaster is underway.

In an announcement relayed by his workplace through the day by day briefing, Netanyahu stated “the define that President Biden introduced is partial. The battle might be stopped for the aim of returning hostages, after which we’ll proceed with additional discussions. There are different particulars which the U.S. president didn’t current to the general public.”

The primary level of competition for this and previous proposals, nonetheless, stays how and when the battle will formally finish. Israel insists on the entire destruction of Hamas.

Israeli Protection Minister Yoav Gallant, a Netanyahu rival inside his personal get together, spoke with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Sunday evening and stated Israel envisions creating a substitute for Hamas to run Gaza.

“Placing a governmental various to Hamas will assist to carry them house,” he stated in an announcement issued by the Protection Ministry. He informed Blinken the safety institution is selling measures to dismantle Hamas’s position because the governing and army authority in Gaza and allow the institution of another energy that may overthrow Hamas rule and exert stress to return hostages.

Hamas responded to Biden’s speech on Friday, saying that it seen the deal positively however that its willingness to interact was “based mostly on a everlasting cease-fire” and the entire withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip.

Netanyahu has been underneath competing pressures for weeks: These for a deal embody average members of his battle cupboard and the households of hostages. On the opposite aspect are extra excessive companions in his coalition, who’ve maintained that an “absolute victory” have to be achieved in Gaza. Biden’s public announcement of the cease-fire proposal has fanned the flames of those tensions.

The U.N. Aid and Works Company (UNRWA), which aids Palestinian refugees, stated Monday that greater than one million Palestinians have fled from Rafah since Israeli floor operations began final month and that almost all are sheltering within the ruins of the town of Khan Younis. “Circumstances are unspeakable,” the company stated on X.

The Maldives will impose a ban on Israeli passport holders getting into the nation, the president’s workplace introduced Monday, following a advice from the cupboard. The president will appoint a particular envoy “to evaluate Palestinian wants” and arrange a fundraising marketing campaign to “help our brothers and sisters in Palestine” with the assistance of UNRWA.

The Israel Protection Forces stated it recognized the physique of Dolev Yehud, 35, a paramedic who left his home on Oct. 7 “in an try to avoid wasting lives.” His physique was present in Kibbutz Nir Oz, and his household was notified after it was recognized by medical officers. The prime minister’s workplace stated the variety of hostages nonetheless being held in Gaza has been up to date to 124, of which a minimum of 39 have been declared lifeless. These figures embody 4 Israelis held for a decade: two of them troopers confirmed lifeless and the 2 others civilians whose fates are unknown.

No less than 20 individuals have been killed in three in a single day strikes that hit central and southern components of the Gaza Strip, Gaza’s civil protection spokesman stated. The IDF stated Monday it’s persevering with operations in Rafah and the central Gaza Strip.

No less than 36,479 individuals have been killed and 82,777 injured in Gaza for the reason that battle began, in response to the Gaza Well being Ministry, which doesn’t distinguish between civilians and combatants however says nearly all of the lifeless are girls and youngsters. Israel estimates about 1,200 individuals have been killed in Hamas’s Oct. 7 assault, together with greater than 300 troopers, and it says 287 troopers have been killed for the reason that launch of its army operations in Gaza.

Heba Farouk Mahfouz in Cairo, and Shira Rubin, Lior Soroka and Alon Rom in Tel Aviv contributed to this report.