When Israel withdraws from Gaza, except for one brigade, to coordinate an offensive in Rafah and Benjamin Netanyahu’s cabinet pushes him to do so so as not to fall, asked French President Emmanuel Macron, his Egyptian counterpart, General Abdel Fattah al Sisi and King Abdallah II of Jordan “an immediate and permanent ceasefire” on the margins.
On a French newspaper platform le Monde and in three other newspapers, the three dignitaries called for an end to “human suffering” in the Gaza Strip and highlighted “the intolerable number of victims.”
“Faced with the intolerable number of victims, we, the Heads of State of Egypt, France and Jordan, call for the immediate and unconditional implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 2728. “We underline the urgent need for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza,” they wrote.
“The war in Gaza and the catastrophic human suffering and for this reason they must end immediately. No peace in the Middle East can come from terrorism, violence or war. It will be the result of the two-state solution. “This is the only credible option to ensure peace and security for all and ensure that neither Israelis nor Palestinians have to relive the horrors that have afflicted them since the October 7, 2023 attacks,” they argued.
“On March 25, the United Nations Security Council finally assumed its responsibilities, calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. This is a crucial step that must be implemented without further delay,” wrote the three heads of state.
Buildings destroyed in Khan Younis, Gaza, this Sunday. Photo: REUTERS Release of the hostages and cessation of the offensive
They also called for the release of the people kidnapped by Hamas in the bloody and unprecedented attack on October 7 on Israeli territory, and who remain in the hands of the extremists.
“We underline the urgent need to follow up on the Security Council’s call for the immediate release of all hostages and reaffirm our support for the ceasefire negotiations, mediated by Egypt, the United States of America and Qatar, of the hostages and prisoners. Equal respect for all lives“they said.
“Urging all parties to respect all relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions, we warn of the dangerous consequences of an Israeli offensive in Rafah, where more than 1.5 million Palestinian civilians have sought refuge. “Such an offensive will only increase loss of life and suffering, exacerbate the risk and consequences of mass forced displacement of Gaza’s population, and pose a threat of escalation in the region,” they warned.
“The crushing of Rafah constitutes the final phase of this liquidation strategy so that the inhabitants of Gaza abandon their territory en masse,” the three leaders denounced in their open letter.
“We reaffirm our equal respect for all lives. We condemn all violations of international humanitarian law, including all acts of violence and terrorism and indiscriminate attacks against civilians. The protection of civilians is a fundamental legal obligation incumbent on all parties and constitutes the cornerstone of the law,” they stated in the column le Monde.
Forensic experts remove a body from the rubble of Gaza’s Al Shifa hospital, bombed by Israel. Photo: AFP Offensive and controversial
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu withdrew from the Strip and left a single brigade there to organize the controversial offensive in Rafah, where all the refugees from northern Gaza live in inhumane conditions.
His far-right cabinet threatened him yesterday to “get ahead” on Rafah or they would remove him from government. The prime minister says the offensive “already has a date” from Monday. But the offensive is rejected by Joe Biden’s North American government and now by the presidents of this forum.
The Israeli military believes the tunnels are in Rafah, connecting with Egypt and feeding and protecting Hamas.
Victory over the Palestinian Islamic movement “requires entry into Rafah and the elimination of the terrorist battalions present there. It will happen, there is a date,” the Israeli prime minister said in a video statement.
Photos of the hostages still in the hands of Hamas, in an exhibition in Tel Aviv, while Israelis cry for their release. Photo: REUTERS The United States on Monday reaffirmed its opposition to any major Israeli operations in Rafah. “We have made it clear to Israel that we believe a massive military invasion of Rafah would have an extremely harmful effect on civilians and ultimately harm Israel’s security,” State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told reporters.
Hamas explores a truce
Hamas sources say the movement is considering “a proposal for a six-week truce.”
Hamas, at war with Israel in the Gaza Strip, is examining a three-stage truce proposal, the first of which involves a six-week ceasefire, a source in the Palestinian Islamic movement told AFP on Monday.
“This first phase also includes the release of Israeli hostages, in exchange for between 800 and 900 Palestinians held in Israeli prisons, the entry of between 400 and 500 trucks of food aid per day and the return home of the inhabitants of north of the country. Gaza Strip, displaced by the war,” this source said.
Israel is also threatened by a “imminent” retaliation from Iran, after the attack on the Iranian consulate in Syria, which killed two senior commanders of the elite guard and seven Iranian officers.
There are 28 Israeli embassies closed around the world plus consulates, after an Iranian spokesperson warned that “no embassy is safe now”.
Source: Clarin
Mary Ortiz is a seasoned journalist with a passion for world events. As a writer for News Rebeat, she brings a fresh perspective to the latest global happenings and provides in-depth coverage that offers a deeper understanding of the world around us.