The daughters and wife of Palestinian Ahmed Alrawi, who was killed yesterday in an Israeli attack, mourn during his funeral in the Yenin refugee camp in occupied West Bank, this Thursday. | AFP
It finally seems that the ceasefire in Gaza will indeed take place. It appears that the obstacles preventing Israel's ratification have disappeared, and the Cabinet will meet tomorrow, Friday, to approve the agreement, which will come into effect on Sunday.
Israel continues bombing the Gaza Strip, despite the ceasefire announcement. These attacks have left at least 73 dead just hours after the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas was announced. Hamas has warned that any aggression and bombing by the enemy could turn "the freedom of a prisoner into a tragedy," while stating that one of the locations bombed by Israel had a hostage.
"Since the ceasefire agreement was announced in the Gaza Strip, Israeli occupation forces have killed 71 martyrs. In Gaza City alone, there are 61 martyrs, including more than 19 children and 24 women, in addition to around 200 injured," detailed a spokesperson for the Gazan Civil Defense, responsible for recovering bodies and victims after the attacks.
The announced ceasefire will come into effect this coming Sunday and will allow for the release of Israeli hostages - both alive and deceased - and the access of humanitarian aid to the Palestinian enclave, where more than 46,700 people have died since October 7, 2023.
Hamas confirms that discrepancies over the agreement with Israel have been resolved
Hamas and Israel have resolved last-minute discrepancies over the ceasefire agreement in Gaza, as confirmed by a member of Hamas's political bureau to Efe. "All issues have been resolved," said this source, paving the way for the Israeli government to vote on the agreement at a meeting scheduled for tomorrow.
The announcement comes after a day in which Israel delayed the agreement vote, which was supposed to take place this morning, accusing the Islamists of introducing last-minute demands. Hamas, on the other hand, denied these claims.
At least $10 billion needed to rebuild Gaza's healthcare system in the coming years
At least $10 billion will be needed to rebuild the healthcare system in Gaza in the coming years, declared a World Health Organization (WHO) official on Thursday. An initial assessment shows that "over $3 billion will be needed for the first year and a half, and $10 billion in the following 5 to 7 years," stated the WHO official for the Palestinian territories, Rik Peeperkorn, at a press conference.
Israeli Cabinet to meet on Friday to approve agreement with Hamas
The last-minute obstacles in the negotiation between Israel and Hamas have been resolved, allowing the plan announced yesterday to proceed with the ceasefire starting next Sunday. The Israeli Cabinet is scheduled to meet on Friday morning to approve the agreement that will end 15 months of war in the Gaza Strip, reports Sal Emergui.
Blinken confident ceasefire in Gaza will take effect on Sunday
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressed confidence on Thursday that the ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip and the release of hostages will take effect on Sunday as planned, despite accusations from Israel and Hamas of delaying it, reports Efe.
"I am confident and fully expect that the implementation will begin as we said on Sunday," stated the U.S. diplomatic chief in his final press conference before leaving office.
Macron and Bin Salman prepare conference on the creation of a Palestinian State
French President Emmanuel Macron and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman discussed on Thursday the international conference they will co-chair to "give a political dynamic to the two-State solution" in the Israel-Palestine conflict, reports Efe.
Both leaders held a phone conversation, as reported by a statement from the Elysee Palace, the French presidency, which also confirmed an international conference on Syria on February 13.
Israel kills 83 Gazans following the agreement in attacks on "terrorist targets"
At least 83 Palestinians have died in the Gaza Strip due to Israeli attacks since the ceasefire agreement was announced, which the Israeli government has not yet ratified and is not expected to take effect until Sunday, reported the emergency services of the Gazan Civil Defense, as per Efe.
The latest count by the Civil Defense recorded 7 deaths in the southern city of Jan Yunis, four in the center of the enclave, and 72 in the Gaza governorate in the north. One of the recent attacks, which resulted in five deaths, occurred in Yabalia, in the northernmost part of the enclave, which has been under siege for over 100 days.
Israeli army claims to have targeted "around 50 targets" in Gaza in the last 24 hours
The Israeli army stated on Thursday that it had targeted "around 50 terrorist targets in the Gaza Strip" in the last 24 hours, while the announced ceasefire agreement from the previous day still needs to be finalized, according to Israel, reported Afp.
"The Air Force targeted approximately 50 terrorist targets throughout the Gaza Strip in the last 24 hours," according to a military statement. "Among the targets attacked were members of the terrorist organizations Hamas and Islamic Jihad, military infrastructures, ammunition depots, rocket launch sites, weapons manufacturing sites, and observation posts," the statement added.
Hamas warns that any "aggression" by Israel endangers hostages
The armed wing of the Palestinian Hamas movement warned on Thursday that the ongoing Israeli bombings in Gaza, following the announcement of a ceasefire agreement set to take effect in the coming days, endanger the hostages who would be released, reported Afp.
"At this stage, any aggression and bombing by the enemy could turn the freedom of a prisoner into a tragedy," declared the Ezedin Al Qasam Brigades on Telegram, stating that during the day, Israeli attacks hit a position where a hostage was located, without providing further details on their fate.
Israel kills over 10 Palestinian militants in attacks in Jenin, northern West Bank
The Israeli Army announced on Thursday the death of at least 10 Palestinian militants during its operations in Jenin, in the northern occupied West Bank, which took place while Israel was negotiating the ceasefire agreement for Gaza in Doha, resulting in 12 deaths.
Between Tuesday and Wednesday, in less than 24 hours, Israel bombed the Yenin refugee camp twice, killing six people each time, including a 15-year-old teenager, reported Efe.
"This week, Israeli security forces acted at night and arrested approximately 50 individuals wanted, confiscated funds for terrorism, and additional weapons," stated a military release.
"This is submission to Hamas": Ultra-Israelis' anger over the agreement in Gaza
Neither the delay in the vote on the ceasefire agreement within the Israeli government has calmed the spirits among ultra-Israelis and Orthodox women who protested on Thursday in front of the Knesset (Israeli Parliament) against a pact that was already considered closed on Wednesday: "This is submission to Hamas," explained Yosef Rabin, one of the protesters, to Efe.
"The agreement we received yesterday is absolutely unacceptable because it basically means the end of the war. This is a failure and a submission to Hamas," emphasized this Israeli. Elian, another 22-year-old Israeli, also advocates for continuing the harsh Israeli offensive against the Gaza Strip, which has caused over 46,700 deaths in over 15 months and created an unprecedented humanitarian crisis among Gazans, as he believes that the ceasefire agreement "endangers Israel's security and the hostages."
"The war must continue until Hamas surrenders and releases the hostages," he added.
Egypt and the UAE call for continued work towards creating an independent Palestinian State
The presidents of Egypt and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Mohammed bin Zayed, called on Thursday for continued efforts towards the creation of an independent Palestinian State following the announcement of a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, reported Efe.
In a meeting held in Abu Dhabi, both leaders emphasized "the need to continue tireless efforts to implement the two-State solution, the only way to ensure sustainable peace and stability in the Middle East," according to a statement from the Egyptian Presidency.