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Netanyahu Tries to Rally Support From Right Wing for Gaza Ceasefire
Israeli lawmakers Itamar Ben Gvir, center, and Bezalel Smotrich, right, attend the swearing-in ceremony for the new Israeli parliament, at the Knesset, or parliament, in Jerusalem, Nov. 15, 2022. Photo: Maya Alleruzzo/Pool via REUTERS
i24 News – On the eve of a decisive meeting of the Israeli cabinet on Sunday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is working to persuade right-wing ministers in his government to accept a new ceasefire plan with Hamas.
This proposal, which includes a 60-day truce, has generating strong internal tensions, particularly around the partial military withdrawal from the Gaza Strip and the management of humanitarian aid.
On Saturday, having just returned from Washington, DC, Netanyahu met with Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich. Despite several previous telephone exchanges, this meeting aimed to defuse Smotrich’s opposition, as he is fiercely hostile to any agreement he would see as abandoning the war objective of dismantling Hamas. He demands that fighting resume immediately after the hostages are released.
National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir shares this hardline stance and rejects any idea of the Israeli army withdrawing from key areas.
On the Palestinian side, negotiations are stalling. A Hamas associate claims that the deadlock is due to Israel’s insistence on maintaining control over 40 percent of Gaza during the truce. An Israeli official rejects this version, accusing Hamas of blocking mediator’s proposal: “If they had accepted the Qatari proposal, we would already be discussing an exit from the conflict.”
Another sensitive issue is the establishment of a “humanitarian city” in Rafah, estimated at costing between $2.6 and $4 billion. Some ministers accuse the army of exaggerating costs to influence strategy. Outrage has emanated from the opposition, as leader Yair Lapid denounces the “headlong rush” over the plan. “With that money, we could ease the burden on Israeli families. Netanyahu is letting Smotrich and Ben Gvir fantasize to preserve his coalition. We need to end this war and bring the hostages back.”
For now, no consensus appears to be emerging, even as diplomatic and humanitarian pressure continues to mount.
The post Netanyahu Tries to Rally Support From Right Wing for Gaza Ceasefire first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Netanyahu Urges Red Cross to Aid Gaza Hostages
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a press conference, in Jerusalem, May 21, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun/Pool
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday he spoke with the International Red Cross’s regional head, Julien Lerisson, and requested his involvement in providing food and medical care to hostages held in Gaza.
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Tens of thousands Join Pro-Palestinian March Over Sydney Harbour Bridge
Protesters gather to walk across the Sydney Harbour Bridge during the Palestine Action Group’s March for Humanity in Sydney, Australia August 3, 2025. Photo: AAP/Dean Lewins via REUTERS
Tens of thousands of demonstrators braved pouring rain to march across Sydney’s iconic Harbour Bridge on Sunday calling for peace and aid deliveries in the war-torn Gaza Strip, where a humanitarian crisis has been worsening.
Some of those attending the march, called by its organizers the “March for Humanity,” carried pots and pans as symbols of the hunger.
“Enough is enough,” said Doug, a man in his 60s with a shock of white hair. “When people from all over the world gather together and speak up, then evil can be overcome.”
Marchers ranged from the elderly to families with young children. Among them was Wikileaks founder Julian Assange. Many carried umbrellas. Some waved Palestinian flags and chanted “We are all Palestinians.”
New South Wales police said up to 90,000 people had attended, far more than expected. The protest organizer, Palestine Action Group Sydney, said in a Facebook post as many as 300,000 people may have marched.
New South Wales police and the state’s premier last week tried to block the march from taking place on the bridge, a city landmark and transport thoroughfare, saying the route could cause safety hazards and transport disruption. The state’s Supreme Court ruled on Saturday that it could go ahead.
Acting Deputy Police Commissioner Peter McKenna said more than a thousand police were deployed and the size of the crowd had led to fears of a crush.
“No one was hurt,” he told a press conference. “But gee whiz, I wouldn’t like try and do this every Sunday at that short notice.”
Police were also present in Melbourne, where a similar protest march took place.
Diplomatic pressure ramped up on Israel in recent weeks. France and Canada have said they will recognize a Palestinian state, and Britain says it will follow suit unless Israel addresses the humanitarian crisis and reaches a ceasefire.
Israel has condemned these decisions as rewarding Hamas, the group that governs Gaza and whose attack on Israel in October 2023 began an Israeli offensive that has flattened much of the enclave. Israel has also denied pursuing a policy of starvation and accused Hamas of stealing aid.
Australia’s center-left Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has said he supports a two-state solution and Israel’s denial of aid and killing of civilians “cannot be defended or ignored,” but has not recognized a Palestinian state.
Therese Curtis, a marcher in her 80s, said she had the human right and privilege of good medical care in Australia.
“But the people in Palestine are having their hospitals bombed, they’re being denied a basic right of medical care and I’m marching specifically for that,” she said.
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UK Plans to Provide Medical Treatment for Children in Gaza
Displaced Palestinian children wait to receive free food at a tent camp, amid food shortages, as the conflict between Israel and Hamas continues, in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, February 27, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Ibraheem Abu Mustafa
i24 News – The United Kingdom is preparing to launch a new initiative aimed at offering urgent medical care to children from Gaza, with up to 300 expected to be transferred to the UK for specialized treatment through the National Health Service (NHS).
Each child will be accompanied by a parent or guardian, and in some cases, siblings. The Home Office will oversee biometric and security checks ahead of their arrival.
The plan is part of a broader humanitarian effort and will be formally announced in the coming weeks.
A government spokesperson said, “We are moving forward with our plans to evacuate more children in need of urgent care, including welcoming them to the UK for specialized treatment, when it is in their best interest.”
The initiative complements the work of the NGO Project Pure Hope, which has already helped three Gaza children receive private medical care in the UK. So far, about 5,000 children have been evacuated from Gaza to Egypt and Gulf states.