CAIRO — Hamas on Thursday dismissed President Donald Trump’s newest menace and reiterated that it’ll solely free the remaining Israeli hostages in change for an enduring cease-fire within the Gaza Strip.
The militant group accused Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of making an attempt to again out of the cease-fire settlement they reached in January. The settlement requires negotiations over a second section wherein the hostages can be launched in change for extra Palestinian prisoners, a everlasting cease-fire and an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.
Hamas spokesman Abdel-Latif al-Qanoua stated the “finest path to free the remaining Israeli hostages” is thru negotiations on that section, which had been supposed to start in early February. Solely restricted preparatory talks have been held up to now.
On Wednesday, Trump issued what he stated was a “final warning” to Hamas after assembly with eight former hostages. The White Home in the meantime confirmed it had held unprecedented direct talks with the militant group, which Israel and Western nations view as a terrorist group.
“Launch the entire Hostages now, not later, and instantly return the entire lifeless our bodies of the individuals you murdered, or it’s OVER for you,” Trump wrote on his Fact Social platform. “Solely sick and twisted individuals preserve our bodies, and you’re sick and twisted!”
Each Israel and Hamas have a longstanding follow of holding onto the stays of their adversaries with a view to commerce them in hostage-prisoner offers.
U.S. plan for the second section
Hamas is believed to nonetheless have 24 residing hostages taken within the Oct. 7, 2023, assault that triggered the conflict, together with Israeli-American Edan Alexander. Additionally it is holding the our bodies of 34 others who had been both killed within the preliminary assault or in captivity, in addition to the stays of a soldier killed within the 2014 conflict.
Hamas launched 25 Israeli hostages and the our bodies of eight extra in change for almost 2,000 Palestinian prisoners within the first 42-day section of the cease-fire, which ended on Saturday.
Israel helps what it says is a brand new U.S. plan for the second section wherein Hamas would launch half the remaining hostages instantly and the remainder when a everlasting cease-fire is negotiated. Hamas has rejected the proposal and says it’s sticking with the settlement signed in January.
Israel has reduce off the supply of meals, gas, drugs and different provides to Gaza’s roughly 2 million Palestinians in an try to stress Hamas into accepting the brand new association. It has threatened “extra penalties” if Hamas doesn’t resume the discharge of hostages.
It’s unclear if the U.S.-Hamas talks made any progress. The Trump administration has pledged full help for Israel’s most important conflict objectives of returning all of the hostages and eradicating Hamas, which can be incompatible.
Direct talks between the U.S. and Hamas might make it troublesome for Israel to renew the conflict, based on Mkhaimar Abusada, a political science professor at Gaza’s Al-Azhar College who’s at present in Egypt. “The present U.S. administration is making an attempt to keep away from a return to conflict in Gaza in all potential methods,” he stated.
Gaza reconstruction plan
Egypt stated Thursday it’ll host a world convention to boost cash for a Gaza reconstruction plan proposed this week on the Arab Summit in Cairo. A date was not introduced.
The convention, in cooperation with the United Nations, would safe monetary pledges for the $53 billion five-year plan, Egyptian overseas ministry spokesperson Tamim Khallaf stated.
Egyptian and Arab officers additionally will tour key capitals, together with Washington, to advertise additional particulars, Khallaf stated, including that Egypt believes it’s a “workable and sensible plan” within the curiosity of all companions.
Hamas-led militants killed some 1,200 individuals, principally civilians, within the Oct. 7 assault and took a complete of 251 individuals hostage. Most have been launched in cease-fire agreements or different preparations. Israeli forces have rescued eight residing hostages and recovered the our bodies of dozens extra.
Israel’s navy offensive has killed over 48,000 Palestinians, principally girls and kids, based on Gaza’s Well being Ministry, which doesn’t say how most of the lifeless had been militants. Israel says it has killed over 17,000 fighters, with out offering proof.
The offensive destroyed huge areas in Gaza and displaced most of its inhabitants. Tons of of 1000’s of individuals are residing in tents, schools-turned-shelters or war-damaged buildings, and the inhabitants depends on worldwide assist.
U.N. chief says assist cuts are a “good storm”
The United Nation’s humanitarian chief issued a dire warning Thursday about how U.S. funding cuts to overseas assist have issued a “physique blow to our work to save lots of lives.”
Tom Fletcher briefed the U.N. Safety Council on the assorted challenges humanitarian staff face on the bottom in Yemen and different areas world wide.
“It’s after all for particular person nations to resolve find out how to spend their cash. However it’s the tempo at which a lot very important work has been shut down that provides to the right storm that we face,” Fletcher stated, including that he has requested companions to supply lists of areas the place they’ve to chop again.
