Desk Report:
Israel issued a final warning to residents of Gaza’s main city on Wednesday, warning those who want to leave the southern enclave to leave immediately. Those who do not will be considered terrorists. Meanwhile, Hamas is discussing US President Donald Trump’s plan to end the nearly two-year war.
According to the British newspaper The Guardian, witnesses reported heavy bombardment in Gaza City. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said that the army was tightening the siege around the city.
Katz wrote on the social media X, “This is the last chance for the residents of Gaza (City), those who want to leave, go south. Leave Hamas fighters isolated in Gaza City.” He warned that those who remain in Gaza City will be considered “terrorists and supporters of terrorism.”
Katz also said that the army had captured the Netzarim Corridor. This has cut off the route from central Gaza to the West Bank. As a result, communication between the north and south of Gaza has been virtually closed. From now on, people in Gaza City will have to pass through Israeli army checkpoints to go south. Hours before the announcement, the Israeli army said that the last road from the south to the north had also been closed.
Rabah al-Halabi, 60, who is sheltering in a tent in the compound of Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, said by telephone that there were continuous explosions around her. “I will not leave the city. Because the southern part of Gaza is just as dangerous. The bombing is going on everywhere. And the displacement is frightening and humiliating,” she said.
“We are just waiting for death. Maybe some consolation will come from God or a ceasefire.” Hamas described Katz’s statement as a prediction of increased war crimes.
Ceasefire at any cost
The International Committee of the Red Cross said it had temporarily suspended operations in Gaza City due to the intensification of the military operation. Doctors Without Borders also stopped working there a few days ago. However, some UN agencies and aid organizations are still operating.
Meanwhile, Hamas is discussing the Trump peace plan. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has supported the plan. The plan calls for a ceasefire, the release of hostages within 72 hours, the disarmament of Hamas, and a phased withdrawal of Israeli troops.
A Palestinian source close to Hamas said no final decision has been made. The plan will take another two to three days to review. The source claimed that Hamas wants to change some provisions of the plan. In particular, they object to the conditions of disarmament and the overthrow of Hamas. They also want international guarantees that Israel will completely withdraw its troops. In addition, they also want guarantees that the ceasefire will not be violated.
The Gaza Civil Defense Agency said at least 46 people were killed in Israeli strikes on Wednesday, 36 of them in Gaza City. It also reported eight deaths in an attack on a school shelter. But the Israeli military said it targeted a Hamas fighter at the site and that it had taken all possible precautions to avoid civilian casualties.
Gaza’s tight press and access restrictions have made it impossible to independently verify the number of casualties. Fadel al-Jadba, 26, said he would not leave the city. “We want a ceasefire at any cost,” he said. “Because we are frustrated, we are tired and we feel like we have no one to stand by us.”
The Israeli military said on Wednesday night that five rockets had been fired from Gaza into Israel. Four of them were intercepted, while another fell in the open.
Hamas ‘two sides’
Trump told reporters on Tuesday that Hamas had “three to four days” to accept his 20-point plan. He also warned that Hamas would “pay the price in hell” if it rejected the plan. A source familiar with the talks in Doha said there were two sides to the story within Hamas.
“The first group believes that Trump’s plan should be accepted unconditionally, prioritizing a ceasefire. The mediators will force Israel to implement the plan. The other group objects to important clauses. They reject the conditions for disarmament and the expulsion of any Palestinians from Gaza. Their position is conditional acceptance.”
On October 7, 2023, Hamas’s attack on Israel killed 1,219 people. Most of them were civilians. At least 66,148 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s retaliatory operations so far. The number given by the Gaza Health Ministry is considered reliable by the United Nations.
According to this information, more than half of the dead were women and children. However, the list does not provide a separate count between fighters and civilians.
