An Israeli operation to occupy Gaza City would be a “death sentence” for the remaining living Israeli hostages held in Gaza, relatives of the hostages have said.
The Red Cross and UN have warned of a looming catastrophe for the hundreds of thousands of Palestinians living in Gaza City.
UN Secretary General António Guterres called for an immediate ceasefire, warning of the “massive death and destruction that a military operation against Gaza would inevitably cause.”
Christian Cardon, the chief spokesperson for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), said: “The intensification of hostilities in Gaza means more killing, more displacement, more destruction and more panic. Gaza is a closed space, from which nobody can escape … and where access to health care, food and safe water is dwindling. Meanwhile, the security of humanitarians is getting worse by the hour. This is intolerable.”
Opposition to a new operation is growing inside Israel and internationally. Families of Israeli hostages held a press conference to call for Israel to agree to a ceasefire deal, already accepted by Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, which would result in half of the remaining 20 surviving hostages being released.
“We’re a step away from a total torpedoing” of a deal, said Lishay Miran Lavi, whose husband, Omri, is thought to still be alive in captivity.
“There is an agreement on the table that could save the lives of hostages and return the dead for proper burial. Hamas has agreed, but the prime minister’s office is working to sabotage it, which would sentence the living hostages to death and the dead to disappearance … The public demands the return of the hostages and an end to the war, which has lost all sense. You cannot conduct a 22-month war whose sole purpose is to preserve political power.”
The Israeli military bombarded Gaza City overnight, a day after it was announced that 60,000 reservists were being called up.
A military official said most reservists would not serve in combat, giving strength to the argument that at least some of Israel’s recent statements amount to posturing against the background of complex and continuing ceasefire talks.
The French president, Emmanuel Macron, warned of the danger of a “true disaster” due to Israel’s negligible efforts to significantly increase humanitarian assistance to Gaza.
The British foreign secretary, David Lammy, described Israel’s approval of a massive illegal settlement as a “flagrant breach” of international law.
In Gaza City, thousands of Palestinians have left their homes as Israeli forces have escalated shelling on the Sabra and Tuffah neighborhoods.
Some families have left for shelters along the coast, while others have moved to central and southern parts of the territory.
“We are facing a bitter-bitter situation, to die at home or leave and die somewhere else: as long as this war continues, survival is uncertain,” said Rabah Abu Elias, 67, a father of seven.
The proposal for a temporary ceasefire, which aligns with an outline drawn up by the US president Donald Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, calls for a 60-day ceasefire and the release of 10 living hostages being held in Gaza by Hamas militants and of 18 bodies. In turn, Israel would release about 200 long-serving Palestinian prisoners.
About The Author
