Results for: Gaza Strip

Israel and Hamas continue to engage in negotiations aimed at reaching a truce amidst the ongoing conflict in the Gaza Strip. However, Hamas has yet to accept the most recent proposal put forward by US and Egyptian mediators. The proposal consists of three stages: an immediate six-week ceasefire, the release of 33 Israeli hostages held by Hamas, and the delivery of essential supplies to Gaza. The proposal also includes the prospect of an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and the return of civilians to the northern part of the territory. Hamas, on the other hand, seeks a complete end to the war and guarantees of an Israeli withdrawal. If an agreement is reached, it would mark the first ceasefire since late November and provide much-needed relief to the people of Gaza.

Over 100 people were arrested last week at Columbia University’s campus where students protested against the Israel-Hamas war. Similar encampments and protests have since sprouted up at universities like UC Berkeley, Cal Poly Humboldt, UCLA, Harvard, USC, Yale, NYU, the University of Minnesota, and the University of Texas at Austin. Student activists are demanding an end to US military aid to Israel, a permanent cease-fire in Gaza, and for their universities to sign on to the boycott, divestment, and sanctions movement.

Hamas terror group leader Yahya Sinwar has emerged from his underground hiding place and is actively leading the resistance movement on the ground in the Gaza Strip. This revelation contradicts Israeli claims that Sinwar is isolated from his forces. The Hamas source confirmed that Sinwar has met with fighters and inspected areas of clashes with the Israel Defense Forces. According to the source, Sinwar recently provided an update on the resistance’s capabilities to external leadership. The emergence of Sinwar from the tunnels raises concerns for the safety of Israeli hostages held by Hamas.

Israel has announced that it is moving forward with its planned military operation in the southern Gaza city of Rafah, despite concerns from the international community over the well-being of the 1.5 million Palestinians seeking shelter in the area. Government spokesman David Mencer confirmed the continuation of the operation, which targets Hamas militants in Rafah.

Since Wednesday, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have conducted ongoing operations in the Gaza Strip, targeting terrorists and their infrastructure. The IDF has successfully eliminated several terrorists and destroyed terrorist infrastructure in the central Gaza Strip.

Hamas, the Islamic militant group, has expressed willingness to agree to a long-term truce with Israel and disarm if an independent Palestinian state is established along pre-1967 borders. This significant concession by Hamas, which has been committed to Israel’s destruction, comes amid a stalemate in cease-fire talks. Israel, however, is unlikely to consider such a scenario as it seeks to crush Hamas following deadly attacks in October 2014. Khalil al-Hayya, a senior Hamas official, stated that the group would accept a fully sovereign Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, along with the return of Palestinian refugees. He emphasized that Hamas wants to join the Palestine Liberation Organisation and form a unified government with Fatah. The international community largely supports a two-state solution, but Israel’s hard-line government rejects it. Despite Israel’s ongoing offensive in Gaza, Al-Hayya believes an offensive in Rafah will not succeed in destroying Hamas and insists on a permanent cease-fire and full Israeli troop withdrawal.

The Israeli military has mobilized two combat brigades from Northern Israel to Gaza, signaling preparations for upcoming operations in the Gaza Strip. These brigades have undergone extensive combat training in anticipation of their deployment. The move aligns with the Israeli Defense Forces’ plan to launch an offensive against the city of Rafah. Further developments are expected as the situation unfolds.

In an attempt to assert its influence in the Middle East, Turkey proposed a security arrangement plan to several Arab states, including the Palestinian Authority. The plan involved deploying forces in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank as part of a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. However, some Arab countries, such as Egypt, initially refused the proposal. Egypt maintains normal relations with Turkey but views its attempts to gain a foothold in the Palestinian arena with suspicion. The report suggests that Turkey may be trying to assert itself at Qatar’s expense due to the failure of hostage deal negotiations.

Amidst concerns raised by international bodies, Palestinian medics have discovered over 300 bodies in mass graves at the Nasser Medical Complex and al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza, raising allegations of potential war crimes and extrajudicial killings during the Israeli military offensive. The harrowing findings have prompted calls for an independent investigation to ensure accountability and preserve evidence. The Israeli military claims that those killed were militants, while witnesses and journalists maintain that civilians and medical workers were among the victims.

Harvard University students have joined a wave of protests on college campuses across the country against the Israeli military assault on the Gaza Strip. The protests began after a shock attack led by the Hamas militant group left 1,200 Israelis dead and more than 200 people taken hostage on October 7th. Since Israel’s retaliatory strikes began, an estimated 30,000 Palestinians have been killed and nearly 2 million people have been displaced.

Harvard students set up an encampment on Wednesday afternoon to protest the war in Gaza and demand that the university divest itself from financial ties to Israel. The encampment was erected two days after the university suspended the Harvard Palestine Solidarity Committee for failing to register for a rally in support of student protesters. Harvard police are preparing for any potential protests, but have not yet responded to a request for comment.

On Monday, Harvard’s interim president, Alan M. Garber, authorized a police response to protests. Students across the country are protesting the Israeli military assault on the Gaza Strip, which has resulted in the deaths of thousands of Palestinians and the displacement of millions more.