According to British media news, United States Secretary of State Blinken once again arrived in Tel Aviv, Israel, and once again promoted a ceasefire in Gaza. But just hours after Blinken arrived in Israel, Hamas said that a ceasefire had not been achieved in Gaza because Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had sabotaged Blinken's efforts, and that Netanyahu was responsible for the Palestinians who lost their lives in the Gaza conflict and the abducted Israelis. Judging by the current situation, neither Israel nor Hamas seems to have any intention of stopping, and even Blinken's 10th or more mediation seems to be difficult.
Blinken: This could be the 'last chance' to release the hostages and secure a ceasefire in Gaza
Blinken's eagerness to push for a ceasefire has been heightened by the assassinations of senior Allah leader Shukur and Hamas leader Haniyeh by Israel last month. Everyone hopes that a brief ceasefire will ease tensions in the region, but also to avoid retaliation by Allah, Iran, and Hamas, because large-scale retaliation will escalate the conflict in Gaza again, or even become a regional conflict, which is something that everyone does not want.
Palestinians search for survivors after Israel air strikes in Nusserat refugee camp in Gaza
According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, Israel has again airstrikes on Gaza and killed 21 people, including six children and their parents, the youngest of whom is only 18 months old. Their relatives shouted to the media: "What crime have they committed? Did they kill the Jews? Did they shoot at the Jews? Or did they fire rockets at Israel? Why did Israel treat them like this? We are all civilians, why are you killing us? The Israel military did not comment on this, but according to previous statements, the Israel Defense Forces are pursuing Hamas, and some Hamas attacks are from schools, hospitals and other civilian facilities, so the Israel Defense Forces choose to fight back.
The Palestinian health ministry also said that since the outbreak of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict on October 7, 2023, Israel's military operation has killed more than 40,000 Palestinians, most of them civilians, and razed much of Gaza to the ground. And Israel's December 2023 order for further evacuation plans from southern Gaza means that these civilians have been driven from the north to the south, and now they are being driven away, leaving displaced Palestinians with no "more room to live." Civilians are driven to sleep in the streets, they lack clean water, and food in the market is very expensive. Almost all Gazans are the same, they are all homeless.
Israel Defense Forces
In Gaza, will Hamas choose a ceasefire? While many countries have been seeking a ceasefire in Gaza, violence in Gaza has only increased, as has violence in the West Bank of the Jordan occupied Israel and Lebanon. Throughout the war, there was no cessation of fighting between the Israel Defense Forces and Hamas. What is Israel's attitude towards this? Netanyahu's office said the Israel Defense Forces must remain in the military buffer zone between Gaza and Egypt, known as the "Philadelphia corridor," to prevent more weapons and equipment from entering Gaza.
At the same time, Netanyahu also said that he would do his best to rescue the living hostages and achieve the strategic goals set by Israel, including never allowing Hamas to continue to control Gaza. According to Israel statistics, since the outbreak of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, 1,200 people in Israel have been killed, and another 250 people have been taken hostage. The Israel military also said the Israel Defense Forces would continue to intensify military operations in central and southern Gaza and aim to "eliminate" Hamas in Gaza and Rafah areas.
Israel terrorist attack on Gaza
Zonsze, a senior Palestinian-Israeli analyst at the International Crisis Group (ICG), has also said that Israel's goal is to completely control Gaza, and if a ceasefire agreement is to be reached, the two sides must first ceasefire. Judging from the current Palestinian-Israeli situation, as long as Israel refuses to end the war once and for all, the ceasefire agreement is a "castle in the air." As can be seen from the assassination of Hamas leader Haniyeh, even if Hamas shows a willingness to negotiate, Israel will force Hamas to abandon negotiations and return to the battlefield by attacking Gaza or even assassinating important Hamas figures. So, no matter how hard Blinken tries, if Israel is not forced to stop, a ceasefire date will be far away.
(Text/Bottle)