GAZA: Hours into a ceasefire, uniformed Hamas members returned to the destroyed streets of Gaza, despite Israel’s promise to annihilate them.
A ceasefire has halted the terrible conflict after months of discussions, but because of the multi-phased structure of the agreement and the profound mistrust between Israel and Hamas, it could fall apart.
Israeli soldiers were leaving the heavily populated portions of the land as Hamas returned, but the devastation they left behind was astounding.
According to the health ministry, almost 47,100 people have died, with civilians making up the bulk.
In the meantime, President Donald Trump’s regional envoy announced on Wednesday that he will visit the Middle East as a member of an inspection team that would be sent to the Gaza Strip and beyond to verify adherence to the truce.
Ten people are killed as Tel Aviv continues its West Bank attack, and Trump’s envoy declares he will personally oversee the truce in Gaza.
Steve Witkoff also stated in an interview with Fox News that he thought all of the nations in the area could “come on board” to normalize relations with Israel. When asked to name specific nations, Netanyahu named Qatar, claiming that the Gulf nation played a crucial role in negotiating the ceasefire agreement for Gaza.
Along with Egypt and the United States, Doha mediated the negotiations and has stated its hope that the six-week peace and prisoner swap will last.
With the releases scheduled at a slow pace compared to a prior peace arrangement, that conclusion is far from inevitable.
Majed al-Ansari, a spokesman for Qatar’s foreign ministry, told Al-Jazeera that the mediators are keeping an eye on the ceasefire through a “operations room” in Cairo.
According to him, they are keeping an eye on whether the sensitive provisions of the agreement—such as the return of displaced people to their homes, the exchange of hostages and prisoners, the entry of aid into Gaza, and the withdrawal of Israeli troops from heavily populated areas—are being carried out.
The ceasefire includes a six-week initial phase of ceasefire during which 33 Israeli hostages will be released in return for 1,900 Palestinians detained by Israel.
But it will be more difficult to see through what follows.
A second phase is to be negotiated, with the goal of permanently ending the war and returning all of the surviving hostages to Israel.
The fact that the agreement’s wording has not been made public adds even more complexity to the truce, increasing the possibility of last-minute hiccups and divergent interpretations by the parties.
Raid on the West Bank
Tel Aviv has increased its raids on regions in the occupied West Bank, killing at least ten people in two days, in contrast to the quiet in the besieged Palestinian enclave.
The governor of Jenin, Kamal Abu al-Rub, told AFP, “The situation is very difficult.”
All of the roads that lead to the Jenin Governmental Hospital and the Jenin camp have been demolished by the occupation force. “There are explosions and shooting,” he continued, alluding to the Israeli military.
According to the official, since the operation started on Tuesday, Israeli forces have arrested about 20 residents of communities near Jenin.
