Hamas yesterday dismissed as pointless ceasefire talks with Israel, accusing it of waging a “hunger war” on Gaza as famine looms and Israel prepares for a broader assault on the war-ravaged Palestinian territory.
The comments from a senior Hamas official followed Israel’s approval of a military plan involving the “conquest” of Gaza, where nearly all 2.3 million people have been displaced and a two-month Israeli blockade has worsened the humanitarian crisis.
“There is no sense in engaging in talks or considering new ceasefire proposals, as long as the hunger war and extermination war continue in the Gaza Strip,” Basem Naim said.
Photo: AP
Naim, a Hamas political bureau member and former Gaza health minister, said the world must pressure Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government to end the “crimes of hunger, thirst and killings.”
Qatar, a key mediator in the conflict, said “our efforts remain ongoing” for a Gaza ceasefire.
Israel’s military on Monday said expanded operations in Gaza would include displacing “most” of its population.
On Sunday, Israel’s security Cabinet approved a military plan for expanded operations, which one official said would entail “the conquest of the Gaza Strip and the holding of the territories.”
The timing of troop deployments allowed a “window of opportunity” for a possible hostage deal coinciding with US President Donald Trump’s visit to the Middle East beginning in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday next week, a senior Israeli security source said.
Nearly all of the territory’s inhabitants have been displaced, often multiple times, since the start of the war sparked by Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel.
Israel’s military resumed its offensive on the Gaza Strip on March 18, ending a two-month truce.
Gaza’s civil defense said six Palestinians including a young girl were killed in Israeli dawn attacks on Gaza.
Moaz Hamdan, who lost family members in a strike in Nuseirat in central Gaza, said he was awoken by “a very large explosion.”
“We saw the whole place covered in dust and destruction, and there was no vision. We were unable to rescue the wounded,” he said.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog said Israel was at a delicate point with “tough dialogue” in parallel with “more steps militarily in order to bring back our hostages.”
“I truly believe that all participants must go the extra mile, make an extra effort, take the extra step, so that we can see our hostages home immediately,” he added.
Hundreds of Israelis on Monday demonstrated outside parliament in Jerusalem to express their opposition to the government’s plan.
“Gaza is, and must remain, an integral part of a future Palestinian state,” Farhan Haq said.
The UN and aid organizations have repeatedly warned of the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, with famine looming.
French Minister of Foreogm Affairs Jean-Noel Barrot said Paris “very strongly” condemns Israel’s planned Gaza offensive, calling it “unacceptable,” adding that its government was “in violation of humanitarian law.”
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