HAMAS EMBOLDENED BY DISSENT WITHIN US: EXPERT
Katulis from NUS’ Middle East Institute said it remains unclear how negotiators got to the ceasefire agreement over the past month, given Hamas has “never been fully candid” during the negotiation process about how many hostages it has taken.
“The challenge here is that anytime there’s any division between the US and Israel, my sense is that Hamas’ position hardens,” Katulis said.
“Anytime Hamas sees dissent within the US where people are calling for a permanent ceasefire without placing demands on Hamas to disarm – they feel emboldened.
“This could complicate things quite a lot, but my sense in the last week or two is that negotiators were getting pretty close to a temporary ceasefire and a hostage release. I hope that’s still alive, but this could very well complicate that mission,” he added.
MEDICAL SECTOR COLLAPSING
Israeli residents set fire twice to the perimeter of the headquarters of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees in East Jerusalem, causing extensive damage to the outdoor areas but no casualties, UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini wrote on X. There was no immediate comment from Israeli police.
“Once again, the lives of UN staff were at a serious risk,” Lazzarini wrote, adding he had decided to close the compound until security is restored.
On Tuesday, Israeli tanks seized the Gaza side of the Rafah border crossing with Egypt, cutting off a vital aid route and forcing 80,000 people to flee the city this week, according to the United Nations.
Israel kept up tank and aerial strikes across Gaza and tanks advanced in the Zeitoun neighbourhood of Gaza City in the north, forcing hundreds of families to flee, residents said. The Israeli military said it was securing Zeitoun, starting with a series of intelligence-based aerial strikes on approximately 25 militant targets.
Deir Al-Balah in central Gaza was packed with people who had fled Rafah in recent days. Palestinian medics said two people, including a woman, were killed when a drone fired a missile at a group of people there.
The closure of the Rafah crossing with Egypt has prevented the evacuation of the wounded and sick and the entry of medical supplies, food trucks and fuel needed to operate hospitals, the Gaza health ministry said on Thursday.
The only kidney dialysis centre in the Rafah area had stopped operating due to the shelling.
“The entire medical sector has collapsed,” said Ali Abu Khurma, a Jordanian surgeon volunteering at Al Aqsa hospital in Deir al-Balah.
United Nations aid chief Martin Griffiths said that for three consecutive days, “nothing and no one has been allowed in or out of Gaza”.
“It means no aid. Our supplies are stuck. Our teams are stuck. Civilians in Gaza are being starved and killed, and we are prevented from helping them. This is Gaza today, even after 7 months of horrors,” Griffiths posted on X.
