The Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, has directed negotiators to travel to Cairo tomorrow to discuss the “ongoing implementation” of the initial phase of the current Gaza ceasefire, according to a statement from his office.
The office stated, “Mr. Netanyahu has instructed the negotiating team to set off for Cairo tomorrow to address the continued implementation of Phase I of the agreement”.
It further noted, “After the security cabinet meeting planned for tomorrow, the team will receive additional directives for negotiations regarding Phase II”.
Leading US diplomat Marco Rubio has remarked that Hamas has exposed its “sick depravity” by holding hostages and the remains of deceased captives in Gaza, cautioning that the group’s leaders are “playing with fire”.
In a statement, Mr. Rubio said, “I urge our partners to convey to Hamas’s leaders that they are playing with fire”.
The US Secretary of State emphasized the urgent need for the return of all hostages held in Palestinian territory.
He specifically called for the release of Israeli-American hostage Edan Alexander and the remains of four Israeli-Americans in Gaza, previously identified as Judy and Gad Hagai-Weinstein, Itay Chen, and Omer Neutra.
Mr. Rubio and Mr. Netanyahu have shown a united stance against their mutual adversaries, threatening to “open the gates of hell” on Hamas and “complete the task” concerning Iran.
This pledge was made during a joint address to reporters in Jerusalem, where Mr. Rubio initiated his first Middle East visit as Secretary of State under President Donald Trump’s administration.
Regarding Hamas, Mr. Rubio stated, “Hamas cannot persist as a military or governmental entity … they must be eradicated”, referring to the Palestinian Islamist group that had engaged in conflict with Israel for over 15 months until a fragile ceasefire began on January 19.
Next to Mr. Rubio, Mr. Netanyahu asserted that the two allies share “a mutual strategy”, adding that “the gates of hell will be opened” if all hostages still held by militants in Gaza are not released.
This dialogue followed the release of three Israeli hostages by Hamas in exchange for 369 Palestinian prisoners – the sixth such exchange under the ceasefire agreement, which was mediated by the US alongside Qatar and Egypt.
Netanyahu’s comments mirrored statements made by Mr. Trump ahead of the recent negotiations.
Palestinian Hamad Arafat Hijazi was released by Israel during the sixth round of the prisoner-hostage exchange.
Mr. Trump had claimed that “all hell” would break loose and that he would demand the cancellation of the truce deal should the hostages not be released.
Israel and Hamas have exchanged accusations regarding breaches of the ceasefire.
Compounding tensions within the arrangement, Mr. Trump has proposed a widely criticized plan to take control of Gaza and resettle its more than two million inhabitants.
“We discussed Trump’s daring vision for Gaza’s future and will strive to make that vision a reality,” Mr. Netanyahu commented.
The proposal outlined by Mr. Trump earlier this month during Mr. Netanyahu’s visit to Washington lacked specificity but suggested relocating Gazans to Jordan or Egypt.
Israeli hostages appeared on stage next to masked militants in Gaza yesterday.
Mr. Trump indicated that Palestinians have “endured a miserable life” in Gaza and proposed the idea of transforming the coastal region into the “Riviera of the Middle East”.
‘The only plan’
The US, Israel’s primary ally and arms supplier, has stated its openness to alternative propositions from Arab governments; however, Mr. Rubio has asserted that for now, “the only plan is the Trump plan”.
Conversely, the international community, including Saudi Arabia and other Arab nations, predominantly supports a two-state solution that envisions a Palestinian state existing alongside Israel.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has asserted that the establishment of a Palestinian state is “the only guarantee” for enduring peace in the Middle East.
Mr. Rubio is set to travel to Saudi Arabia tomorrow and will also visit the United Arab Emirates.
Earlier, Israel’s defense ministry announced it had received a shipment of US-made 2,000-pound bombs “authorized by the Trump administration”.
The Biden administration previously blocked the shipment over concerns that the munitions could be deployed in densely populated areas of Gaza.
Hamas and Israel are currently engaged in the first 42-day phase of the ceasefire, which nearly unraveled last week.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is pictured meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in West Jerusalem (Photo Credit: Koby Gideon – GPO).
Since the ceasefire took effect last month, 19 Israeli hostages have been freed in exchange for over 1,000 Palestinian prisoners.
Out of 251 individuals taken during Hamas’s attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, which provoked the ongoing conflict, 70 remain in Gaza, including 35 identified by the Israeli military as deceased.
Discussions regarding a second phase of the ceasefire, which aims to achieve a more sustainable resolution to the conflict, could commence this week in Doha, according to a Hamas official and another source acquainted with the negotiations.
Mr. Netanyahu’s office indicated that he would organize a meeting of his security cabinet tomorrow to examine phase two.
‘Shoulder to shoulder’
Meanwhile, Mr. Rubio praised Mr. Trump for demonstrating “courage and vision” with regard to Gaza, aiming to move beyond “the same tired ideas of the past”.
The Gaza war has led to significant upheaval throughout the Middle East, where Iran supports militant groups in Yemen and Lebanon.
Israel engaged in a related conflict with Hezbollah, a Lebanese ally of Hamas, significantly weakening the militant group.
There have also been limited direct confrontations between Iran and Israel.
Mr. Rubio labeled Iran as “the single greatest source of instability in the region”.
With backing from the Trump administration, Mr. Netanyahu expressed confidence, stating, “I have no doubt that we can and will finish the job” concerning Iran.
He stated, “Israel and America stand shoulder to shoulder in countering the threat posed by Iran”.
The attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, resulted in the deaths of 1,211 individuals, primarily civilians, according to a tally by AFP based on Israeli official figures.
In response, Israel’s military campaign has resulted in at least 48,271 fatalities in Gaza, the majority of which are civilians, according to reports from the health ministry in the region governed by Hamas, which the UN deems credible.
Hamas claimed that an Israeli airstrike killed three police officers near Rafah in southern Gaza earlier, labeling it a “serious violation” of the ceasefire. In contrast, Israel stated it had targeted “several armed individuals” in southern Gaza.
This marks at least the second Israeli airstrike in Gaza since the ceasefire commenced.
