Gaza Archives - Page 2 of 121

Phase II of Gaza Ceasefire About to Start on ‘Positive’ Note

CrossFireArabia
February 18, 2025

Qatar reported a “positive atmosphere” on Tuesday to start negotiations for the second phase of a Gaza ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas.

“There is a positive atmosphere that may encourage the start of the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Majed Al-Ansari told a press conference in Doha according to Anadolu.

He, however, noted that the talks have not started yet, expressing hope that the negotiations will start “soon.”

Ansari said the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza was “insufficient,” stressing that it “must not turn into a bargaining chip.”

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar said early Tuesday that the second-phase negotiations of the Gaza deal will start this week.

Sa’ar said that Israel will demand a “full demilitarization” of the Gaza Strip, according to The Jerusalem Post newspaper.

The first phase of the Gaza ceasefire and prisoner exchange deal has been in place since Jan. 19, pausing Israel’s genocidal war that has killed nearly 48,300 Palestinians and left the enclave in ruins.

Under the agreement, 19 Israeli captives and five Thai workers have so far been released in exchange for 1,135 Palestinian prisoners.

The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants in November last year for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.

News

King Abdullah: No to Displacement

CrossFireArabia
February 17, 2025

Jordan’s King Abdullah II reiterated on Monday his firm opposition to the displacement of Palestinians.

His remarks came during a meeting with military retirees at the Royal Hashemite Court, according to a statement.

King Abdullah II in a meeting with veterans in Jordan today: “NO to displacement in Gaza and the West Bank.”
He added emphasizing that Gaza can be rebuilt without displacing its people.
pic.twitter.com/dMYsrEm41t
— Taghreed Risheq (@taghreedrisheq) February 17, 2025

“For 25 years, I have been saying no to displacement, no to resettlement, no to the alternative homeland,” the court quoted the monarch as saying, denouncing “those who question these firm positions.”

He also reiterated “the importance of de-escalation in the West Bank,” highlighting that “achieving just peace on the basis of the two-state solution is the only way to guarantee stability in the region,” according to Anadolu.

The Jordanian monarch underscored that “preserving Jordan’s interest and stability and protecting Jordan and Jordanians are above all considerations,” stressing the importance of rebuilding Gaza “without displacing Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank.”

Trump hosted Jordan’s King Abdullah at the White House last week, renewing his insistence that Gazans be relocated and the enclave controlled by the US to be redeveloped into a tourist area.

The ceasefire deal has been in place in Gaza since Jan. 19, pausing Israel’s genocidal war that has killed nearly 48,300 Palestinians and left the enclave in ruins.

The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants in November last year for Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.

News

Gazans Need Drinking Water

CrossFireArabia
February 17, 2025

The Government Media Office in Gaza reports that significant efforts are required to improve access to safe drinking water for Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip, as 70% of areas in the Strip currently lack this vital resource as a result of the massive destruction brought about by the Israeli troops during the genocide.

News

Israel to Build 1000 Settlement Units Near Bethlehem

CrossFireArabia
February 17, 2025

The Israeli government issued a tender to build nearly 1,000 settlement units in the occupied West Bank, an anti-settlement group said on Monday.

The Peace Now group, an Israeli watchdog that monitors settlement building in the West Bank, said 974 additional settler homes will be built in Efrat settlement south of Bethlehem city.

It warned that the construction of an entire neighborhood in the Efrat settlement “blocks the development of the Bethlehem metropolis to the south, and if Israel seeks to annex it to Israel, it will cut off the entire southern West Bank,” according to Anadolu.

The Israeli organization accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of harming Israel’s interests and undermining the two-state solution through imposing realities on the ground.

“While the people of Israel sets their sights on the release of the hostages and an end to the war, the Netanyahu government is operating ‘on steroids’ to establish facts on the ground that will destroy the chance for peace and compromise,” it said.

Nineteen Israeli captives and five Thai workers have been released in exchange for 1,135 Palestinian prisoners under a Gaza ceasefire agreement that took effect on Jan. 19.

The international community, including the UN, considers the Israeli settlements illegal under international law. The UN has repeatedly warned that continued settlement expansion threatens the viability of a two-state solution, a framework seen as key to resolving the decades-long Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

In July 2024, the International Court of Justice declared Israel’s decades-long occupation of Palestinian land illegal and demanded the evacuation of all existing settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

News

Gaza: More Bodies From The Rubble; Tip of The Iceberg

CrossFireArabia
February 17, 2025

Palestinian medics and rescue teams recovered nine more bodies from the rubble in the Gaza Strip, pushing the overall death toll from Israel’s genocidal war since October 2023 to 48,284, the Health Ministry said on Monday.

A ministry statement said that the toll also included four Palestinians killed by Israeli army fire in the last 24 hours.

According to the ministry, 16 injured people were also admitted to hospitals, taking the number of the injured to 111,709 in the Israeli onslaught according to Anadolu.

“Many victims are still trapped under the rubble and on the roads as rescuers are unable to reach them,” the ministry said.

A ceasefire agreement has been in place in Gaza since Jan. 19, pausing the Israeli war that has caused widespread destruction and left the Palestinian enclave in ruins.

Despite the ceasefire, the Gaza local authorities reported almost daily ceasefire violations by the Israeli army.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.