Mounting pressure on Israel to end war amid deal talks
TEL AVIV
Public pressure is growing within Israel, including from former intelligence officers and military personnel, urging an end to the Gaza war to secure the release of hostages.
Mediators are reportedly in the final stages of drafting a ceasefire and hostage release deal, with the United States pushing for a breakthrough before the end of April.
Prime Minister Netanyahu on Monday told the family of a hostage that current negotiations are focused on releasing ten hostages in one phase.
According to Al-Arabiya, Hamas has agreed to a two-phase release of additional hostages, along with providing updated information on those still held.
Meanwhile, over 1,600 veterans from Israel’s Paratroopers and Infantry brigades signed a letter demanding the return of all hostages held in Gaza, “even if it requires halting the ongoing war.”
More than 170 graduates of a military intelligence program signed a similar petition calling for a prisoner swap with Palestinians. In total, nearly ten such appeals have emerged from Israeli soldiers and veterans since April 10.
Among them are 200 military doctors and more than 250 former Mossad officials, including three ex-Mossad chiefs, who released a joint petition demanding an immediate end to the war.
The letters came aid Israeli Army Chief Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir Monday warned that a lack of troops is limiting Israel's capacity to achieve its war goals in Gaza.
According to Israeli media, Zamir told Netanyahu and cabinet members that “military-only strategies cannot fulfill all national objectives, particularly without a diplomatic path.”
EU to boost financial support for Palestinian Authority
In a related development, The European Union announced it would increase financial support to the Palestinian Authority with a three-year package totaling 1.6 billion euros ($1.8 billion), in exchange for promised reforms.
The Palestinain Authority has been accused of corruption and bad governance.
European Commissioner Dubravka Suica said governance and transparency will be closely monitored as conditions for the funding.
"We want them to reform themselves because without reforming, they won't be strong enough and credible in order to be an interlocutor, not for only for us, but an interlocutor also for Israel," Suica said.
The commissioner's remarks came ahead of a first "high-level political dialogue" between European Union foreign ministers and senior Palestinian officials including Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa in Luxembourg on April 14.
