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What are Hamas’s Changes to the U.S. Ceasefire Proposal?
Hamas Chairman Ismail Haniyeh (Photo: Hamas)
i24 News – Hamas says its requested changes to the U.S. ceasefire proposal are minimal, as the U.S. ups the pressure on the terrorist organization to accept the deal on the table or else be blamed for a situation of a stalemate.
In an interview with Reuters, a Hamas leader called the amendments to the ceasefire plan “not significant,” which appear to be similar to issues raised in previous rounds of negotiations.
The demands include having three “interconnected and continuous phases” of the ceasefire, including a complete IDF withdrawal from the Gaza Strip within the first phase.
The Hamas leader also told Reuters that they demand to be the ones to choose the list of one hundred Palestinian prisoners serving long sentences for terrorism crimes who would be released from Israeli jail. In addition, the Hamas leader says the Israeli blockade on Gaza would have to be lifted and allow the free movement of people and goods into the enclave.
The demands were echoed by Taher Al-Nono, the media advisor to Hamas’s political chief Ismail Haniyeh. Speaking to Al Jazeera by phone, Al-Nono emphasized the importance of having three continuous phases to the ceasefire deal in order to prevent Israel from resuming its strikes on Gaza. Al-Nono said the IDF would have to withdraw from the Philadelphi axis and the Rafah crossing as part of the agreement.
Haniyeh’s advisor also revealed that Hamas had requested additional guarantors be added to the deal, such as Turkey, Russia, China and the UN. Al-Nono addressed the reports that the U.S. was attempting to strike a unilateral hostage release deal to free five captives who hold American citizenship, which Al-Nono denied. He told Al Jazeera, “We have not received anything official from the American government.”
Another source also told the Saudi A-Sharq channel on Wednesday night about the same proposed amendments. The source said that they would expect the IDF to withdraw from densely populated areas and the Philadelphi axis and Rafah crossing by the end of the first week of the deal’s implementation. The source added that a permanent ceasefire would have to be declared at the end of the first stage of the agreement.
One of the biggest hurdles to closing a deal has been Israel’s reluctance to transition from a temporary to a permanent ceasefire between the first and second phases, hence Hamas’s insistence on making the stages interconnected and continuous. Israel maintains that it will not end the war until all of its objectives have been met, including the full dismantling of Hamas’s political and military wings.
White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said on Thursday that Israel is standing behind the current ceasefire proposal, and the current goal is to bridge the gaps with Hamas. Speaking at the G7 summit being held in Italy, Sullivan said that the world needs to encourage Hamas to agree to the ceasefire proposal in order to avoid a stalemate. Earlier this week, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken also confirmed Israel’s readiness to accept the current proposal and put the blame on Hamas for standing in the way of reaching an immediate end to the hostilities in Gaza.
The post What are Hamas’s Changes to the U.S. Ceasefire Proposal? first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Dozens of Terrorists Eliminated in Central Gaza, Weapons Seized from UN School in Raid
Some rises after an Israeli strike as Israeli forces launch a ground and air operation in the eastern part of Rafah, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, May 7, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Hatem Khaled
i24 News – Israel Defense Forces continue to operate in the Shejaiya area at the same time as fighting in the Rafah area and in the center of the Gaza Strip, the army said.
In the Shejaiya area, forces of the 98th Division attacked dozens of terrorist sites with the help of airstrikes from the Israel Air Force.
Over the weekend, Israeli soldiers raided a UN school in Shejaiya, where terrorists hid and stored weapons, grenades and valuable intelligence documents
This is yet another example of how Gazan terrorists use civilian structures to carry out attacks against Israeli forces pic.twitter.com/9oA9KLJehC
— i24NEWS English (@i24NEWS_EN) June 30, 2024
A UN school was raided where terrorists hid and stored weapons, grenades, and sensitive documents. In addition, a Hamas command center was discovered in a clinic.
Since Saturday, division forces located weapons, raided and captured terrorist compounds, and eliminated a number of terrorists.
IDF strikes Hamas target in Gaza
Israeli forces continue to operate in the Shejaiya area while continuing to push in Rafah and in central Gaza
The IDF attacked and destroyed a mortar launch position located within a tunnel shaft in Rafah pic.twitter.com/JqTACvuMys
— i24NEWS English (@i24NEWS_EN) June 30, 2024
The 162nd Division meanwhile continues in the Rafah area, eliminating a number of terrorists in various encounters and destroying tunnel shafts in the area.
The 99th Division 99 the center of the Gaza Strip carried out raids and destroyed terrorist infrastructure in the area.
Also on Saturday, an airstrikes destroyed a mortar launch position located inside a tunnel shaft in Rafah.
The post Dozens of Terrorists Eliminated in Central Gaza, Weapons Seized from UN School in Raid first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Israeli Government Approves Danny Danon as UN Ambassador
Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon at a briefing on Iranian aggression on May 6, 2020. Photo: Screenshot.
i24 News – The Israeli government unanimously agreed on Sunday to appoint Likud lawmaker Danny Danon as Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, succeeding the current ambassador, Gilad Erdan.
Danon, who previously held this position, will soon serve a second term. Danon’s appointment to this important position comes at a particularly crucial time, as he is expected to represent Israel on the international stage as the country faces challenges at home and abroad.
“I am proud to return to serve the State of Israel as Israel’s Ambassador to the United Nations during this critical period,” he said on Twitter.
“As Israel faces battles on numerous fronts, each and every one of us must do his utmost within his skills and experiences,” he said in an earlier statement. “This is how I have behaved in the past, and this is how I will continue to behave in the future.”
I am proud to return to serve the State of Israel as Israel’s Ambassador to the United Nations during this critical period.
With Israel confronting challenges on multiple fronts, it is imperative for each of us to contribute to the best of our abilities and experiences. This…
— Danny Danon דני דנון (@dannydanon) June 30, 2024
“In the face of the diplomatic terrorism that is rearing its head these days, I am forced to present the truth and hold my head high for the people of Israel and our common future here,” he concluded.
It is expected that Avihai Boaron, a former member of the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, will enter in place of Danon.
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‘Los Angeles Is Becoming Unsafe for Its Jewish Residents” Says Israeli Minister
Governor Newsom speaking at the Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles. Photo Credit: Office of Governor Gavin Newsom.
i24 News – Amichai Shikli, Israel’s Minister of Diaspora and Antisemitism, has urgently called upon California’s governor Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles’s mayor Karen Bass to address a concerning escalation of antisemitic incidents in the city.
In a strongly worded letter sent following a surge in antisemitic activities since October 7, 2023, Shikli expressed deep apprehension about the safety of Jewish residents in Los Angeles.
“Los Angeles is becoming more and more unsafe for its Jewish residents,” Shikli stated, emphasizing the urgent need for proactive measures to combat the rising tide of antisemitism.
He highlighted recent violent demonstrations on campuses that endangered Jewish students, alongside two serious incidents that he believes were mishandled by authorities.
One incident he pointed to was the tragic murder of Paul Kessler in November 2023 during a pro-Israel demonstration. Shikli criticized the court’s failure to classify the attack as a hate crime, stating, “It is shocking to see that the court did not recognize this as a hate crime. Paul was attacked for the sole reason that he was a Jew and a Zionist.”
Additionally, Shikli referenced an incident earlier in the week where an anti-Israel group disrupted an event at Adat Torah synagogue, resulting in an attack on Jewish attendees. Despite prior knowledge of the demonstration, law enforcement allegedly failed to take preventive actions to ensure the safety of Jewish residents.
Concerned about the city’s largest Jewish community in North America, Shikli urged immediate steps to enhance security around Jewish institutions and to ensure law enforcement is adequately trained to handle antisemitic crimes effectively. “At a time when antisemitism is at an all-time high, I urge you to implement measures to combat it,” he asserted.
The minister concluded his letter by proposing collaboration with local authorities and inviting the Los Angeles Police Department to participate in an international training program aimed at equipping security forces worldwide to combat antisemitism effectively.
The post ‘Los Angeles Is Becoming Unsafe for Its Jewish Residents” Says Israeli Minister first appeared on Algemeiner.com.