Israeli defence minister Yoav Gallant has warned Hamas that it will “bear the consequences” if it doesn’t accept the ceasefire and hostage-release deal outlined by US president Joe Biden and subsequently endorsed by the United Nations.
Speaking during meetings with US defence officials in Washington, Mr Gallant said Israel remains committed to bringing back all the hostages in Hamas captivity.
Efforts to achieve a deal are deadlocked and received a further setback in recent days when prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu said he only wants a partial deal, adding that Israel will continue fighting after an initial release of hostages held by Hamas.
Hamas says any deal must bring an end to the war and full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, while Israel says it will accept only temporary pauses in fighting until Hamas is eradicated.
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Hamas leaders in Doha told representatives of other Palestinian factions they believe the Biden administration will increase pressure on Israel to reach a deal only when the Israeli army completes its intense combat in Gaza. The Israeli military believes the operation in the southern Gaza city of Rafah will take a few more weeks and the completion of the manoeuvre will mark the end of the stage of intensive fighting in Gaza.
Fierce fighting continued in Rafah on Wednesday, with Israeli tanks operating in the Tel Ai-Sultan neighbourhood, one of the last remaining areas held by Hamas fighters.
Clashes also continued in other areas of Gaza. Three Palestinians were killed near the northern Jabaliya refugee camp close to Gaza city. In the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza tank shells struck an apartment, killing at least five people and wounding others, medics said.
In the northern Gaza Strip, Palestinians complained of a severe lack of food and soaring prices, and health officials said thousands of children were suffering from malnutrition that has already killed at least 30 since the conflict began on October 7th.
Gaza remains at high risk of famine, though delivery of some aid has limited the projected spread of extreme hunger in northern areas, according to the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification a global partnership used by the United Nations and aid agencies.
According to the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry, 37,700 Palestinians have been killed since the war began on October 7th. Israel says 1,200 people were killed and 253 hostages seized in the surprise Hamas attack on that day. It says 120 hostages remain in Hamas captivity but it is not known how many are alive.
Mr Netanyahu has said that the end of the intense phase of fighting Hamas in Gaza will allow forces to move to the northern border with Lebanon to confront the Iranian-backed Hizbullah.
Hizbullah began attacking Israel shortly after the war began in Gaza, and the sides have since been involved in exchanges of fire.
US secretary of defence Lloyd Austin told Mr Gallant that war between Israel and Hizbullah “would be catastrophic for Lebanon, and it would be devastating for innocent Israeli and Lebanese civilians.”
Lebanese prime minister Najib Mikati addressed the escalation between Israel and Hizbullah, saying Lebanon should not become a theatre of armed conflicts. “The stability and interests of Lebanon should not be tied to complex conflicts and endless wars,” he said.
In Israel, following Tuesday’s landmark ruling by Israel’s high court ordering the government to end the military draft exemption for ultra-Orthodox, the attorney general said preparations must be made for an initial draft of 3,000 yeshiva seminary students.
Mr Netanyahu is scrambling to shore up his governing coalition and to prevent the ultra-Orthodox parties from withdrawing. But his efforts received a big setback when Yuli Edelstein, from his own Likud party, who chairs the foreign affairs and defence committee tasked with preparing a military draft Bill, indicated that he would not allow a Bill that did not enjoy broad parliamentary support to be passed into law. – Additional reporting: Reuters
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