Israel/Palästina

Israel’s foreign minister demanded Monday that the U.N. Security Council designate Hamas as a terrorist organization and impose “heavy sanctions.”

Hamas's delegation left Cairo on Wednesday with no breakthrough in the Gaza ceasefire negotiations that had been under way since Sunday.

“Hunger has reached catastrophic levels,” Jamie McGoldrick, the UN’s Humanitarian Coordinator for the Occupied Palestinian Territory, told journalists at UN Headquarters on Wednesday, describing a two-day visit to war-ravaged Gaza.

Among the actions expected of the warring parties, the report from the UN rights chief urges Palestinian armed groups in Gaza “to ensure the humane treatment and immediate release of all hostages”, to stop firing “indiscriminate projectiles” at Israel and to pull out fighters from buildings used by civilians.

“February registered a 50% reduction of humanitarian aid entering Gaza compared to January,” Philippe Lazzarini, the head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, said in a statement on X. “Aid was supposed to increase not decrease to address the huge needs of 2 million Palestinians in desperate living conditions.”

According to The Times of Israel and Haaretz, the Israeli military would take over security control of the entire Gaza Strip. This would mean the dismantling of all Hamas military structures and grant unlimited freedom for Israeli military operations. Media reports also said Israel hopes a new road dividing the Gaza Strip into north and south would improve security control. But observers fear Israel could also use this road to prevent Palestinian refugees who fled to the south at the beginning of the war from returning to the north.

Israel says new attempts are underway to reach a cease-fire with Hamas to temporarily halt fighting in Gaza and secure the release of the 100 or so hostages still being held by the militants.

In a collective appeal, heads of UN humanitarian entities and global NGOs implored world leaders to help prevent further deterioration of the crisis in Gaza that has left tens of thousands of Palestinians – mostly women and children – dead.

The UN Security Council met again in emergency session in New York on Gaza Tuesday, where the United States vetoed a resolution put forward on behalf of Arab States by Algeria demanding “an immediate humanitarian ceasefire that must be respected by all parties”. 

Israel will launch its long-threatened offensive against Rafah next month if Hamas has not freed the remaining hostages held in Gaza by the start of Ramadan, Israeli war cabinet member Benny Gantz said.