Hamas announced on Thursday that it would send a delegation to Cairo as soon as possible to continue ceasefire negotiations, in response to Egypt's latest offer. Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh said in a statement that he had met with Egypt's intelligence chief and “underscored the movement's positive spirit in considering ceasefire proposals.” The statement did not say when the delegation would travel.
if israel-hamas war Even if it were to stop today, it would take until 2040 to rebuild all the homes destroyed in Israel's nearly seven months of shelling and ground attacks on the territory, according to U.N. estimates released Thursday. That's what it means.
The United States has been pressuring Israel to increase aid during the war, and on Wednesday border crossings reopened It was the first clash with the heavily damaged northern Gaza Strip since it was damaged at the start of the war.
Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, on his seventh visit since war broke out between Israel and Hamas in October, pressed for a ceasefire agreement. The proposed ceasefire would see the release of hostages held by Hamas in exchange for a cessation of fighting and supplies of much-needed food, medicine and water to Gaza. Palestinian prisoners will also be released as part of the deal.
On October 7th, Palestinian armed groups Unprecedented attack on southern Israel, killed approximately 1,200 people (mostly civilians) and abducted approximately 250 hostages.Israel says extremists Still holding about 100 hostages The bodies of over 30 other people.
The death toll of Palestinians in Gaza exceeds 34,500. According to local health authorities, as this territory faces a humanitarian catastrophe. The war forced about 80% of Gaza's 2.3 million people to flee their homes, caused extensive destruction to several towns and cities, and swept into northern Gaza. To the brink of starvation.
the current:
— Nonstop Middle East coverage of the Israel-Hamas war will be paused for a while. Protests and police action in US schools.
— Colombia's president said the country would Severance of diplomatic relations with Israel Regarding the Gaza war.
— The Biden administration is considering the following measures: Help Palestinians bring their families From the area.
— Blinken pressures Hamas They concluded a cease-fire with Israel, saying the “time is now” for an agreement.
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Here's the latest information:
Israel asks citizens to reconsider Eurovision travel
JERUSALEM – Israel's National Security Council has issued a warning urging citizens to reconsider traveling to Malmö, Sweden, for the upcoming Eurovision Song Contest.
In a statement, the council called Malmö a “center of anti-Israel protests,” including attacks on Israelis and the burning of Israeli flags.
“These developments raise obvious concerns that terrorists will take advantage of the protests and the anti-Israel atmosphere to attack Israelis arriving at Eurovision,” it said.
It said it considered travel to Malmo posed a “moderate threat” and advised Israelis heading to Malmo to “reconsider their travel needs.”
The warning will remain in place for the duration of the Eurovision contest, scheduled to run from May 7th to 11th.
The war in Gaza has heightened tensions over Israel's participation in Eurovision. A large protest by pro-Palestinian groups is expected in Malmö, and contest organizers have said they reserve the right to remove any Palestinian flags or pro-Palestinian symbols from the show.
Hamas delegation goes to Egypt for further ceasefire talks
CAIRO – Hamas has announced that it will send a delegation to Cairo to continue ceasefire negotiations.
Hamas was expected to announce a response to Egypt's latest proposal as soon as Thursday.
The group's top leader, Ismail Haniyeh, said in a statement that he had met with Egypt's intelligence chief and “underscored the movement's positive spirit in considering ceasefire proposals.”
In a statement, Hamas negotiators said they would travel to Egypt as soon as possible “to complete ongoing discussions with the aim of moving towards an agreement.”
The statement did not say when the delegation would travel.
German Chancellor and Israeli Prime Minister speak on the phone about hostage release and ceasefire
BERLIN – German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu agreed in a telephone conversation Thursday to release hostages held by Hamas, German government spokesman Wolfgang Büchner said, without providing details. He said they had discussed efforts to secure a ceasefire.
Further improving the delivery of humanitarian aid to people in the Gaza Strip was also on the agenda, Buchner said in an emailed statement.
According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, Germany is the second largest supplier of arms to Israel after the United States. It is also one of the countries that announced it would resume cooperation with the United Nations relief agency for Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. independent review Israel's Foreign Ministry called the decision “unfortunate and unfortunate.”
Ministry of Health adds 28 people to Israel-Hamas war death toll in Gaza Strip
BEIRUT – The Gaza Health Ministry announced Thursday that the bodies of 28 people killed in Israeli military attacks were taken to local hospitals in the past 24 hours. The daily report said 51 injured people were also admitted to the hospital.
According to the ministry, this brings the total number of Palestinians killed in the Israeli-Hamas war to at least 34,596 and 77,816 injured.of The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare does not distinguish between Statistics show deaths among combatants and civilians, with women and children accounting for about two-thirds of the deaths.
The Israeli military said it had killed about 13,000 militants, without providing evidence to support that claim.
More than 370,000 homes have been destroyed in fighting in Gaza and will take at least until 2040 to repair, UN report says
AMMAN, Jordan — Even if the war in Gaza stopped today, all the homes destroyed in about seven months of Israeli shelling and ground attacks in the area would be rebuilt, according to United Nations estimates released Thursday. It will take until 2040 to do so.
“Each day of this war incurs enormous and complex costs for Gazans and all Palestinians,” said Achim Steiner, administrator of the United Nations Development Program.
At least 370,000 homes in the Gaza Strip have been damaged, 79,000 of which have been completely destroyed, according to a new report by UNDP and the Economic and Social Commission for West Asia. The report details how the Israeli offensive, which began after the October 7 Hamas attack, has caused damage. What has been the devastating blow to the Palestinian Authority's economy, and how will its impact increase as the conflict drags on?
After the previous conflict between Israel and Hamas, housing was rebuilt at a rate of 992 units per year. Even if Israel allowed a five-fold increase in construction materials to Gaza, it would take until 2040 to rebuild destroyed homes without repair, the report said.
In the Gaza Strip, Israeli attacks brought the economy to a virtual standstill, shrinking by 81% in the final quarter of 2023. The report said “the economy's productive base was destroyed” and sectors suffered losses of more than 90%.
The Gaza Strip, home to about 2.3 million Palestinians, has been under blockade by Israel and Egypt since Hamas occupied it in 2007, with strict restrictions on movement into and out of the territory. Even before the war, the country faced “super unemployment” of 45%, reaching nearly 63% for young workers. Approximately 201,000 jobs have been lost since the war began.
The war has also affected the West Bank, where Israel has imposed travel restrictions for months. The report says the entire Palestinian economy, including both Gaza and the West Bank, has shrunk by 25.8% so far in 2024, and if the war continues, losses could rise to 29% by July, worth $7.6 billion. It is said that it will reach .
Hamas praises Colombia's decision to sever diplomatic ties with Israel
BEIRUT — The Palestinian militant group Hamas praised the Colombian government's announcement. sever ties with Israelsaid such a move recognizes the suffering of the Palestinian people.
In a statement Thursday, Hamas called on other Latin American leaders to sever diplomatic ties with Israel, describing it as a “rogue and fascist entity that continues to commit crimes against our people.”
Historically, Colombia has been one of Israel's closest partners in Latin America. However, since then, relations between the two countries have cooled. Mr. Gustavo Petro was elected. He will become Colombia's first leftist president in 2022.
Petro described Israel's siege of Gaza as a “genocide” and announced that his government would sever diplomatic relations with Israel starting Thursday. He previously suspended arms purchases from Israel and compared the country's actions in Gaza to those of Nazi Germany. Hamas said it highly valued Petro's stance.
Weeks after the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on southern Israel that sparked the current war in Gaza and killed about 1,200 people, Petro recalled the ambassador to Israel who had criticized Colombia's military offensive.