Hamas seeks 'complete halt' to Israeli aggression as violence rages in Gaza
GAZA STRIP
Hamas gave its official response to the latest truce proposal for Gaza on Tuesday, calling for a "complete halt" to Israeli "aggression" as fighting raged in the Palestinian territory.
"The response prioritises the interests of our Palestinian people and emphasises the necessity of a complete halt to the ongoing aggression on Gaza," Hamas said in a joint statement with Islamic Jihad.
A source with knowledge of the talks said Hamas proposed amendments to the plan, including a ceasefire timeline and the complete withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza.
Talks were expected to continue via Qatari and Egyptian mediators, coordinated with the United States.
Blinken will meet in Doha with both the emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, and Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, who is also the wealthy kingdom's top diplomat, according to the State Department.
Later on Wednesday, Blinken will fly to Italy to join Biden at the summit of the Group of Seven major industrial democracies.
During his visit in Jerusalem, Blinken said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had "reaffirmed his commitment" to the proposed six-week ceasefire, which was also backed by a U.N. Security Council vote.
Blinken then attended a summit in Jordan, alongside leaders from the Arab world and beyond, addressing Gaza's humanitarian crisis.
The Israeli siege has left Gaza's 2.4 million people without adequate food, clean water, medicines and fuel, pushing many to the brink of starvation. Only occasional aid shipments provide temporary relief.
'Carnage and killing'
"The horror must stop," U.N. chief Antonio Guterres told the conference, voicing his support for the truce plan first outlined by U.S. President Joe Biden late last month.
"The speed and scale of the carnage and killing in Gaza is beyond anything in my years as secretary-general," he told the gathering on the shores of the Dead Sea.
U.N. humanitarian coordinator Martin Griffiths labelled the Gaza conflict a "stain on our humanity" and called for $2.5 billion in funding until year-end.
Amid diplomatic efforts to address the crisis, Israel conducted further strikes on Gaza, resulting in casualties according to hospital sources.
The Israeli army said four soldiers were killed in the southern city of Rafah on Monday in what Hamas called a booby-trap explosion.
Israel has faced mounting international criticism over the escalating death toll in the conflict.
Health officials in Hamas-ruled Gaza reported 274 people were killed during an Israeli special forces raid on Saturday to rescue four hostages.
The U.N. human rights office expressed deep concern over the civilian casualties in the Nuseirat raid and said it was "deeply distressed" over the ongoing hostage situation in Gaza.
And on Monday the U.N. Security Council endorsed the three-phrase truce proposal Biden set out last month.
Netanyahu suffered a setback on Sunday when Benny Gantz, a centrist former army chief, quit his war cabinet, citing the lack of a post-war governance plan for Gaza.
Blinken met Gantz and opposition leader Yair Lapid, both of whom have been vocal critics of Netanyahu and his handling of the conflict.
Washington has also pushed for a "day-after" plan for Gaza, promoted a governance role for Hamas's rival, the Palestinian Authority, and urged steps toward a two-state solution.
Netanyahu and his far-right coalition partners reject the idea of Palestinian statehood, arguing it would endanger Israel's security and effectively "reward terrorism".
'Siege and destruction'
Israel launched its war on Gaza in retaliation for the Hamas' Oct. 7 attacks that resulted in the deaths of more than 1,170 people, mostly civilians, according to Israeli official figures.
Hamas also seized 251 hostages, more than 100 of whom were released during a November truce. After special forces rescued four captives on Saturday, 116 hostages remain in Gaza, though the army says 41 of them are dead.
Israel's offensive has killed more than 37,000 people in Gaza, mostly civilians, according to the Hamas-run territory's health ministry.
The latest Israeli deaths in Rafah took to 298 the military's overall losses in Gaza since its ground offensive began on Oct. 27.
In Jabaliya, Soad al-Qanou said her young child Amjad was suffering from malnutrition, as aid shipments failed to adequately address Gaza's needs.
"This war has destroyed our lives and turned them upside down," she said. "There is no food, no drink. There is siege and destruction everywhere."
Violence has also surged in the already restive Israeli-occupied West Bank since the start of the war. On Tuesday, six people were killed during an Israeli army raid in the village of Kfar Dan, the Palestinian health ministry said.
Among aid pledges made at the Jordan meeting, the United States promised $404 million for food, water, health supplies and other aid.
A joint statement at the end of the summit called for "immediate, safe and unhindered access for humanitarian assistance and sustained provision and delivery throughout Gaza".
It also backed the "indispensable and irreplaceable role of UNRWA", the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees which coordinates aid in Gaza but has been the target of severe criticism from Israel.
Blinken, hitting back at critics of U.S. support for Israel, noted the U.N. appeal for the Palestinians was only one-third funded.
"Some who have expressed great concern over the suffering of the Palestinian people in Gaza, including countries with the capacity to give a lot, have provided very little or nothing at all," Blinken said, likely referring to U.S. adversaries China and Russia.
"It is time for everyone — everyone — to step up."
The United States is the largest donor to the Palestinians. It also provides Israel with $3.8 billion in annual military aid.