US Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited Israel on Wednesday to seek a cease-fire agreement, saying “the time is now” and placing responsibility on Hamas if no agreement is reached to end the war off Gaza. I warned you. Ground.
Blinken greeted the families of Israeli hostages held in the Gaza Strip, saying freeing their loved ones was “central to what we are trying to do.”
This is Blinken’s seventh trip since the latest war between Israel and Hamas broke out in October, where he has been detained by Hamas in exchange for a cessation of fighting and supplies of much-needed food, medicine and water. They are trying to move forward with an armistice agreement to release the hostages. Gaza. Palestinian prisoners will also be released as part of the deal.
On October 7, insurgents launched an unprecedented assault on southern Israel, killing about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting about 250 hostages. Israel said insurgents were still holding about 100 hostages and the bodies of more than 30 others.
The war between Israel and Hamas has flattened vast swathes of northern Gaza, threatening starvation for the hundreds of thousands of civilians who remain there. Nearly seven months of Israeli shelling and ground attacks in the Gaza Strip have killed more than 34,500 Palestinians and caused a humanitarian catastrophe, local health officials say. Blinken said on Tuesday that Israel plans to open a major humanitarian aid transit point in hard-hit northern Gaza.
the current:
– Mr. Blinken urged Israel and Hamas to move forward with a ceasefire agreement, saying “the time is now.”
— A Lebanese Christian leader says Hezbollah’s fight against Israel has harmed Lebanon.
— Police remove pro-Palestinian protesters from Columbia University as clashes erupt at UCLA.
— A collision with a Portuguese-flagged ship in the Arabian Sea raises concerns about the capabilities of Houthi rebels.
Follow AP’s war coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war.
Here’s the latest information:
Leaked ceasefire agreement included Israeli withdrawal from Gaza
CAIRO — A leaked proposal detailing the details of a new cease-fire agreement includes Israel’s withdrawal from the Gaza Strip in exchange for the planned release of hostages.
The proposal was confirmed by Egyptian and Hamas officials on Wednesday, highlighting the messy details being worked out to secure a deal. The details were first reported by Al-Akbar, a Lebanese newspaper close to Hamas and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.
According to the proposal, Hamas would release female civilian hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners during the first week of the 40-day initial phase of the agreement.
After this first force, Israeli forces will withdraw from the coast road and head east to facilitate the flow of humanitarian aid and allow displaced people to return to their homes in northern Gaza. Hamas will also provide a list of hostages still alive at the time.
Within three weeks, the two sides are expected to begin indirect negotiations aimed at restoring permanent calm. Three weeks into the first phase, Israeli forces will withdraw from central Gaza.
A six-week second phase will see a deal finalized for a permanent pacification, with the release of all remaining hostages, including civilians and soldiers, held by Hamas in exchange for more Palestinian prisoners. Soldier hostages will not be released until sedation begins.
The third and final phase will include the release of the remains of hostages held in the Gaza Strip, the release of additional prisoners held by Israel, and the start of a five-year recovery plan. Under the plan, Hamas would agree not to rebuild its military.
Earlier on Wednesday, Hamas announced that Egypt would mediate on certain terms of the agreement, in particular ensuring that the unconditional return of displaced persons to northern Gaza and that the second phase included the complete withdrawal of all Israeli forces from Gaza. He said he is requesting a clear explanation from the committee members.
Egyptian and Hamas officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were discussing behind-the-scenes negotiations.
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By Sammy Magdy, Associated Press Writer
Blinken speaks to protesters in Israel demanding return of hostages
TEL AVIV, ISRAEL – U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken greeted families of Israeli hostages held in the Gaza Strip who were protesting outside a meeting with the Israeli president earlier Wednesday.
Blinken briefly greeted dozens of demonstrators demanding an immediate hostage release deal on the sidewalk outside a Tel Aviv hotel. Earlier, he had met with families of Americans captured by Hamas.
“SOS, America, you are the only one who can save the day,” and “We trust in Blinken, bring them back to us,” the demonstrators chanted, calling on Blinken to They urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wartime cabinet to make their case.
Blinken said releasing loved ones “is at the heart of everything we’re trying to do.”
In the October 7 attack, Hamas killed 1,200 people and captured about 250. About 100 people were released during a ceasefire in November. Israeli authorities say Hamas and other extremist groups still have 100 bodies in their custody, as well as 30 more.
Mr. Blinken is in the region to try to press Israel and Hamas to agree to a cease-fire agreement that would halt their nearly seven-month war and potentially release some of the remaining hostages. Under the new agreement, 33 hostages will be released in the first phase, which will last six weeks, in exchange for the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.
Ministry of Health adds 33 people to Israel-Hamas war death toll in Gaza Strip
CAIRO – The Gaza Health Ministry announced on Wednesday that the bodies of 33 people killed in Israeli military attacks were transferred to local hospitals in the past 24 hours. The daily report said 57 injured people were also admitted to the hospital.
According to the ministry, this brings the total Palestinian death toll from the Israel-Hamas war to at least 34,568 and 77,765 injured.
The Health Ministry does not distinguish between combatants and civilians in its tally, but says women and children account for about two-thirds of the deaths.
The Israeli military said it had killed 13,000 militants, without providing evidence to support that claim.
Hamas asks mediator to clarify ceasefire terms
CAIRO, Egypt – Hamas has asked Egyptian and Qatari mediators to clarify the terms of the latest cease-fire proposal being discussed as part of negotiations with Israel, Egyptian officials said Wednesday.
The official, who was closely involved in the talks and spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the deal freely, said Hamas is committed to ensuring the unconditional return of displaced people to northern Gaza and ensuring implementation of Phase 2 of the Gaza Agreement. He said he wanted clear conditions. The agreement includes discussing the gradual and complete withdrawal of all Israeli forces from the entire Gaza Strip.
The official said the current agreement does not adequately explain who will be allowed to return to the north and how that will be decided.
It is unclear whether Hamas’ demands for clarification will slow progress on the deal, which has emerged from some of the first serious talks between the two sides in months. Israel and Hamas were divided on the key issue of whether the war would finally end as part of the later stages of the deal.
The new phased agreement includes the release of 33 civilian and sick hostages held by the militants in exchange for a cessation of fighting and the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners from Israeli prisons. There is.
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Associated Press writer Sammy Magdy contributed to this report.
Pressing that “now is the time” to agree to a ceasefire in Israel
TEL AVIV, ISRAEL – U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Israeli leaders Wednesday and told the country’s ceremonial president that “now is the time” to agree to a ceasefire.
Blinken has blamed Hamas for the delay in achieving the deal.
“We are determined to achieve a cease-fire now that will bring the hostages home, and the only reason that won’t happen is because of Hamas.”
Before arriving in Israel, Blinken visited key regional leaders in Saudi Arabia and Jordan. He was scheduled to meet with Israeli President Isaac Herzog and later with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The State Department said he will meet with hostage families and visit Israeli ports where aid is being shipped to Gaza.
A new deal between Israel and Hamas appears to be gaining momentum, but a key issue remains whether the war will end as part of the deal, with Hamas sticking to its demands and Israel refusing to do so. There is.
