The war between Israel and Hamas could take another turn. Negotiations for a truce in the Gaza Strip and the release of hostages held by Hamas are making “significant progress”, pro-government Egyptian media Al-Qahera News reported on Monday, April 8.
Paradoxically, the city of Rafah, where nearly 1.5 million Palestinians are crowded together on the Egyptian border, is preparing on Monday for a possible offensive by the Israeli army.
Information to remember
⇒ “Significant progress” in negotiations on a truce in Gaza
⇒ Rafah prepares for a possible military offensive by Israel
⇒ Germany before the ICJ accused of “facilitating” a genocide in Gaza
Rafah prepares for possible Israeli military offensive
The city of Rafah, where nearly 1.5 million Palestinians are crowded, is preparing Monday for a possible offensive by the Israeli army. On Sunday, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said his country’s forces are “preparing to continue their missions […] in the area of Rafah”, a town bordering Egypt at the southern tip of Gaza where nearly 1.5 million Palestinians are gathered, the majority displaced. A few hours earlier, Israeli troops had withdrawn of Khan Younes, another town in the south of the coastal territory, epicenter of fighting, in order “to prepare for future operations” according to the army. A few hours earlier, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reaffirmed his determination to eradicate Hamas. throughout the Gaza Strip, including Rafah”, a city which he presents as the last great bastion of the Islamist movement.
“Significant progress” in Gaza truce negotiations
A senior Egyptian source cited by the pro-government Egyptian media outlet Al-Qahera News, close to the security services, reported “significant progress” in reconciling points of view on several disputed points of the agreement in discussion, indicates the media. The delegations of Qatar and the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas left Cairo and will return there “within two days to finalize the terms of the agreement”, indicates Al-Qahera News. The American and Israeli delegations are due to leave the Egyptian capital “in the coming hours” and consultations will continue over the next 48 hours, according to the same source.
In recent weeks, the negotiations taking place in Cairo and Doha have stalled. Hamas and Israel accuse each other of obstructing these indirect talks via international mediators such as the United States, Qatar and Egypt.
Germany before the ICJ accused of “facilitating” a genocide in Gaza
Germany faces accusations from Nicaragua before the UN’s highest court on Monday that Berlin is “facilitating the commission of genocide” against the Palestinians with its military and political support for Israel. Managua filed a lawsuit against Germany at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), asking judges to impose emergency measures to prevent Berlin from providing weapons and other aid to Israel. “We reject Nicaragua’s allegations,” Sebastian Fischer, spokesman for the German Foreign Ministry, said ahead of the hearings.
While in a 43-page document addressed to the court, Managua claims that Berlin is violating the 1948 United Nations Genocide Convention, established following the Holocaust. “By sending military equipment and now eliminating funding for UNRWA” (United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees), “Germany is facilitating the commission of genocide,” it is written.
Australia appoints adviser to investigate deaths of aid workers
Australia on Monday appointed a former military chief to investigate with Israel the deaths of seven aid workers in Gaza, including an Australian, so that all those responsible for the strikes are “held to account”. Lalzawmi “Zomi” Frankcom, a 43-year-old Australian, along with six other aid workers from the American NGO World Central Kitchen (WCK), were killed on April 1 in the Gaza Strip by three Israeli space strikes. four minutes on their convoy. The Israeli army, which admitted to having made a series of “serious errors”, fired two military officers but this did not quell international outrage.
Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong on Saturday described the information on the strike provided by Israel as “insufficient”. On Monday, she appointed Mark Binskin, a former Australian air force chief, as special adviser tasked with working with Israel to ensure “transparency” in the investigation.