[🇧🇩] Israel and Hamas war in Gaza-----Can Bangladesh be a peace broker?

[Saif]

US, Israel reject Egypt’s Gaza plan

Israel criticised a plan put forward by Arab states for Gaza’s reconstruction on Tuesday, while Palestinian group Hamas welcomed it.

www.thedailystar.net

US, Israel reject Egypt’s Gaza plan
Hamas welcomes it

Israel criticised a plan put forward by Arab states for Gaza's reconstruction on Tuesday, while Palestinian group Hamas welcomed it.

The White House said the plan adopted by Arab states did not address Gaza's reality and that US President Donald Trump stood by his proposal.

Meanwhile, Israel's newly appointed military chief Eyal Zamir said yesterday that his country's mission to defeat Hamas was not yet accomplished.

Arab leaders adopted an Egyptian reconstruction plan for Gaza that would cost $53 billion and avoid displacing Palestinians from the enclave.

Trump's plan to displace Palestinians in a US takeover of the enclave received global condemnation last month.​

 

[Saif]

200 attend Pro-Palestine protests near Columbia University

More than 200 pro-Palestinian protesters gathered Tuesday in front of Columbia University in New York to demonstrate against former Israeli prime minister Naftali Bennett, who was at the campus for a speaking engagement...

www.newagebd.net

200 attend Pro-Palestine protests near Columbia University
Agence France-Presse . New York 05 March, 2025, 23:55

More than 200 pro-Palestinian protesters gathered Tuesday in front of Columbia University in New York to demonstrate against former Israeli prime minister Naftali Bennett, who was at the campus for a speaking engagement.

After more than a year of protests at the campus by both supporters of Israel and opponents of the assault on Gaza after the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, the appearance of the former leader of Israel’s far-right was met with expected pushback.

‘The decision to host a man with such a violent and openly discriminatory record sends a message that the university values some voices over others,’ a spokesperson for Columbia Palestine Solidarity Coalition — one of the groups taking part in the protest — said in a statement.

None of the individual protesters at the event, many of whom wore masks or traditional Palestinian keffiyehs, agreed to speak with AFP journalists.

Police at the scene worked to separate the protest from a small group of pro-Israel counter-demonstrators nearby, though the two demonstrations passed without any incident.

The protest was held at the same time as US president Donald Trump’s administration threatened federal funding for the New York university over an anti-semitism row.

The federal government on Monday said it was considering ending contracts it has with Columbia worth over $50 million, blaming it for failing to protect its Jewish students from anti-Semitism amid the protests.

‘All Federal Funding will STOP for any College, School, or University that allows illegal protests,’ Trump wrote Tuesday on his platform Truth Social.

‘Agitators will be imprisoned/or permanently sent back to the country from which they came. American students will be permanently expelled or, depending on ...the crime, arrested,’ the post continued.​

 

[Saif]

Arab leaders endorse plan to rebuild Gaza under PA

Arab leaders endorsed on Tuesday a plan to rebuild the Gaza Strip under the future administration of the Palestinian Authority, presenting an alternative to US president Donald Trump’s widely condemned proposal to take over the territory and displace its people...

www.newagebd.net

Arab leaders endorse plan to rebuild Gaza under PA
Agence France-Presse . Cairo 05 March, 2025, 23:58

Arab leaders endorsed on Tuesday a plan to rebuild the Gaza Strip under the future administration of the Palestinian Authority, presenting an alternative to US president Donald Trump’s widely condemned proposal to take over the territory and displace its people.

The prospect of the Palestinian Authority governing Gaza remains far from certain, however, with Israel having ruled out any future role for the body, and Trump having closed the Palestine Liberation Organisation liaison office in Washington during his first term while stepping up support for Israel.

Trump triggered global outrage by suggesting the United States ‘take over’ the Gaza Strip and turn it into the ‘Riviera of the Middle East’, while forcing its Palestinian inhabitants to relocate to Egypt or Jordan.

Tuesday’s Arab League summit in Cairo — a day after Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated his support for Trump’s proposal — offered an alternative with the adoption of a ‘comprehensive Arab plan’.

It announced the establishment of a trust fund to pay for the territory’s reconstruction, and urged the international community to back it.

‘All these efforts are proceeding in parallel with the launch of a political track’ towards Palestinian statehood, it added, an ambition that Israeli leaders have opposed.

The statement welcomed ‘the Palestinian decision to form a Gaza administration committee under the umbrella of the Palestinian government’.

The summit also called on Palestinian representation to be unified under the PLO, an umbrella group that is the dominant political force within the Palestinian Authority — and which excludes Hamas.

The PA had previously governed Gaza before losing power there in 2007 to Islamist Hamas.

Hamas, which sparked the war in Gaza with its October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, said it welcomed the summit’s plan and the proposed formation of a temporary committee ‘to oversee relief efforts, reconstruction and governance’.

But it was unclear how willing Hamas would be to relinquish control of Gaza.

Israel meanwhile said the Arab leaders’ proposal failed ‘to address the realities’ and criticised its reliance on both the PA and the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA.

‘Both have repeatedly demonstrated corruption, support for terrorism, and failure in resolving the issue’, the Israeli foreign ministry said in a statement.

Palestinians, Arab states and many European governments have rejected Trump’s proposal for US control of Gaza, opposing any efforts to expel its people.

Trump has recently appeared to soften his stance, saying he was ‘not forcing’ the plan, which experts have said could violate international law.

Egyptian president Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said the plan would ensure Palestinians ‘remain on their land’, but was careful not to criticise Trump.

The summit’s final communique warned against ‘sinful attempts to displace the Palestinian people’, saying they would ‘usher the region into a new phase of conflicts’.

For Palestinians, any forced displacement evokes memories of the ‘Nakba’, or catastrophe — the mass displacement in the war that led to Israel’s creation in 1948.

Sisi said Tuesday that the new management committee, composed of Palestinian technocrats, was aimed at ‘paving the way for the return of the Palestinian Authority to the Strip’.

Veteran Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas, also addressing the summit, said a working committee had been formed to prepare for the PA resuming its role in Gaza.

UN chief Antonio Guterres endorsed the initiative in Cairo to rebuild Gaza, adding the world body was prepared to ‘fully cooperate’.

Hamas’s October 7 attack on Israel resulted in the deaths of 1,218 people, most of them civilians, while Israel’s military retaliation in Gaza has killed at least 48,405 people, also mostly civilians, data from both sides show.

The war has devastated Gaza and created a dire humanitarian crisis.

A fragile ceasefire since January saw an influx of humanitarian aid into Gaza, before Israel on Sunday announced it was blocking deliveries until Hamas accepted its terms for an extension of the truce.

The deal’s first phase ended at the weekend, after six weeks of relative calm that included exchanges of Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners.

While Israel has said it wants to extend the first phase until mid-April, Hamas has insisted on a transition to the deal’s second phase, which should lead to a permanent end to the war.

Hours before the summit opened Tuesday, Israel’s top diplomat Gideon Saar said it demanded the ‘total demilitarisation of Gaza’ and the removal of Hamas to proceed to the second phase of the ceasefire deal.

Hamas leader Sami Abu Zuhri rejected the demand.​

 

[Saif]

US holds secret talks with Hamas on Gaza hostages, source says

The Trump administration has been conducting secret talks with Hamas on the possibility of releasing US hostages being held in Gaza, a source briefed on the conversations told Reuters. US special envoy for hostage affairs Adam Boehler has been holding the direct talks with Hamas in recent weeks in

thefinancialexpress.com.bd

US holds secret talks with Hamas on Gaza hostages, source says
REUTERS
Published :
Mar 06, 2025 00:01
Updated :
Mar 06, 2025 00:01

A hostage who was released from captivity in Gaza as part of the hostages-prisoners swap and a ceasefire deal between Hamas and Israel, arrives at Sourasky Medical Center (Ichilov) in Tel Aviv, Israel Feb 22, 2025. Photo : REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun

For all latest news, follow The Financial Express Google News channel.
The Trump administration has been conducting secret talks with Hamas on the possibility of releasing US hostages being held in Gaza, a source briefed on the conversations told Reuters.

US special envoy for hostage affairs Adam Boehler has been holding the direct talks with Hamas in recent weeks in Doha, the source said, confirming a report by Axios.

Until recently the United States had avoided direct discussions with the militant group. The US State Department designated Hamas as a foreign terrorist organisation in 1997.

The Israeli embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Boehler's office declined to comment. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The source said the talks have focused on gaining the release of American hostages still held in Gaza, but also have included discussions about a broader deal to release all remaining hostages and how to reach a long-term truce.

US President Donald Trump's Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff plans to return to the region in coming days to work out a way to either extend the first phase of the Gaza ceasefire deal or advance to the second phase, a State Department spokesperson said on Monday.​

 

[Saif]

France, UK, Germany urge 'unhindered' access for Gaza aid

France, the United Kingdom and Germany Wednesday urged Israel to ensure the "unhindered" delivery of humanitarian supplies to the war-ravaged Palestinian territory of Gaza, warning against using aid as a "political tool".

en.prothomalo.com

France, UK, Germany urge 'unhindered' access for Gaza aid
AFP
Paris
Updated: 05 Mar 2025, 22: 28

A Palestinian carries boxes of humanitarian aid after rushing the trucks transporting the international aid from the US-built Trident Pier near Nuseirat in the central Gaza Strip on 18 May 2024, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the militant group Hamas.AFP file photo

France, the United Kingdom and Germany Wednesday urged Israel to ensure the "unhindered" delivery of humanitarian supplies to the war-ravaged Palestinian territory of Gaza, warning against using aid as a "political tool".

A fragile ceasefire since 19 January saw an influx of humanitarian aid into Gaza, before Israel on Sunday announced it was blocking deliveries until Palestinian militant group Hamas accepted its terms for an extension of the truce.

"We call on the government of Israel to abide by its international obligations to ensure full, rapid, safe and unhindered provision of humanitarian assistance to the population in Gaza," the countries said in a joint statement.

"A halt on goods and supplies entering Gaza such as that announced by the government of Israel would risk violating international humanitarian law," they said.

"Humanitarian aid should never be contingent on a ceasefire or used as a political tool."

The three European nations described the humanitarian situation in Gaza as "catastrophic".

The Gaza ceasefire deal's first phase ended over the weekend after six weeks of relative calm. They included exchanges of Israeli hostages taken when Hamas attacked Israel on 7 October 2023 for Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails.

While Israel has said it wants to extend the first phase until mid-April, Hamas has insisted on a transition to the deal's second phase, which should lead to a permanent end to the war.

Of the 251 hostages taken on that date, 58 remain in Gaza, including 34 the Israeli military has confirmed are dead.

"It is vital that the ceasefire is sustained, all the hostages are released, and continued flows of humanitarian aid to Gaza are ensured," the three European nations said.

"All hostages must be unconditionally released and Hamas must end their degrading and humiliating treatment," they added.​

 

[Saif]

Trump’s threat to Gaza undermines truce

Hamas said yesterday that Donald Trump’s threats would encourage Israel to disregard the fragile ceasefire, after the US president said that unless hostages are freed, the people of Gaza would be “DEAD”.

www.thedailystar.net

Trump’s threat to Gaza undermines truce
Says Hamas as US holds unprecedented direct talks for release of American hostages
​

• Trump said he was "sending Israel everything it needs to finish the job"​
• Israel has halted the flow of goods, supplies into Gaza​
• France, Britain, Germany jointly called the situation in Gaza "catastrophic"​

Hamas said yesterday that Donald Trump's threats would encourage Israel to disregard the fragile ceasefire, after the US president said that unless hostages are freed, the people of Gaza would be "DEAD".

Trump's warning came hours after his administration revealed it held unprecedented direct talks with Hamas, which it proscribes as a "terrorist" group, focused on American hostages in Gaza.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office confirmed Israel was consulted and said in a statement that it "expressed its opinion" on the direct talks.

Trump said later he was "sending Israel everything it needs to finish the job" as his administration expedites billions of dollars in weapons.

"Release all of the Hostages now, not later, and immediately return all of the dead bodies of the people you murdered, or it is OVER for you," he wrote on his Truth Social platform after meeting freed hostages.

"This is your last warning! For the leadership, now is the time to leave Gaza, while you still have a chance."

Trump also warned of repercussions for Gaza as a whole, where virtually the entire population has been displaced by Israel's relentless military campaign.

"To the People of Gaza: A beautiful Future awaits, but not if you hold Hostages. If you do, you are DEAD!"

Hamas spokesman Hazem Qasim said Trump's words pushed Israel to disregard the terms of a ceasefire in place since January 19.

"These threats complicate matters regarding the ceasefire agreement and encourage the occupation to avoid implementing its terms," Qasim said in a statement, urging the United States to pressure Israel to enter the ceasefire's second phase.

Israel has ramped up its rhetoric and halted the flow of goods and supplies into Gaza.

"Hamas has indeed suffered a severe blow, but it has not yet been defeated. The mission is not yet accomplished," Israel's new military chief Eyal Zamir warned Wednesday.

Also on Wednesday, France, Britain and Germany jointly called the humanitarian situation in Gaza "catastrophic," and urged Israel to ensure the "unhindered" delivery of aid.

South Africa said Israel's restriction of aid into Gaza amounted to using starvation as a weapon of war.​

 

[Saif]

Israel again weaponising starvation in Gaza: UN

A group of UN human rights experts said Thursday that Israel is again ‘weaponising starvation’ in Gaza by blocking humanitarian aid after the first phase of a ceasefire deal expired.

www.newagebd.net

Israel again weaponising starvation in Gaza: UN
Agence France-Presse . Geneva 07 March, 2025, 22:33

A group of UN human rights experts said Thursday that Israel is again ‘weaponising starvation’ in Gaza by blocking humanitarian aid after the first phase of a ceasefire deal expired.

A fragile ceasefire since January 19 saw an influx of humanitarian aid into Gaza, before Israel on Sunday announced it was blocking deliveries until Palestinian militant group Hamas accepted its terms for an extension of the ceasefire.

The group of more than 30 experts — specialists in various fields who are mandated by the UN Human Rights Council but do not speak on behalf of the United Nations — said the Israeli action breached international law.

Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday that Israel would ‘open the gates of hell’ in Gaza if all hostages taken in the October 7, 2023 Hamas attacks were not returned. Gaza has already been devastated by the war that followed the attacks.

‘Apart from the cruelty of these statements on the second day of the holy month of Ramadan, these moves are patently unlawful under international law,’ the experts said.

‘As the occupying power, Israel is always obliged to ensure sufficient food, medical supplies and other relief services.’

‘Israel is once again weaponising aid. These are serious violations of international humanitarian and human rights laws, and war crimes and crimes against humanity under the Rome Statute,’ they added.

Israel stopped aid deliveries into Gaza saying they were being diverted by Hamas.

With significant US involvement, Hamas and Israel are arguing over how to extend the ceasefire.

Israel wants an extension of the first phase of the ceasefire until mid-April. It is demanding the return of hostages, the total demilitarisation of Gaza and the departure of Hamas before the second phase of the ceasefire accord starts.

Hamas has demanded that the second phase, which should see the negotiation of a permanent ceasefire, be started and that the group should remain in the territory it has run since 2007.​

 

[Saif]

Gaza reconstruction: Europe backs Arab-led $53 billion plan

The foreign ministers of France, Germany, Italy and Britain said on Saturday they supported an Arab-backed plan for the reconstruction of Gaza that would cost $53 billion and avoid displacing Palestinians from the enclave

www.thedailystar.net

Gaza reconstruction: Europe backs Arab-led $53 billion plan

The humanitarian crisis in Gaza has only worsened. FILE PHOTO: REUTERS

The foreign ministers of France, Germany, Italy and Britain said on Saturday they supported an Arab-backed plan for the reconstruction of Gaza that would cost $53 billion and avoid displacing Palestinians from the enclave.

"The plan shows a realistic path to the reconstruction of Gaza and promises – if implemented – swift and sustainable improvement of the catastrophic living conditions for the Palestinians living in Gaza," the ministers said in a joint statement.

The plan, which was drawn up by Egypt and adopted by Arab leaders on Tuesday, has been rejected by Israel and by US President Donald Trump, who has presented his own vision to turn the Gaza Strip into a "Middle East Riviera".

The Egyptian proposal envisages the creation of an administrative committee of independent, professional Palestinian technocrats entrusted with the governance of Gaza after the end of the war in Gaza between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas.

The committee would be responsible for the oversight of humanitarian aid and managing the Strip's affairs for a temporary period under the supervision of the Palestinian Authority.

The statement issued by the four European countries on Saturday said they were "committed to working with the Arab initiative," and they appreciated the "important signal" the Arab states had sent by developing it.

The statement said Hamas "must neither govern Gaza nor be a threat to Israel any more" and that the four countries "support the central role for the Palestinian Authority and the implementation of its reform agenda."​

 

[Saif]

TRUMP’S GAZA PLAN: Muslim nations adopt Arab alternative

The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation formally adopted early Saturday an Arab League counter-proposal to US president Donald Trump’s plan to take over Gaza and displace its residents, calling on the international community to support the regional initiative.

www.newagebd.net

TRUMP’S GAZA PLAN: Muslim nations adopt Arab alternative
Agence France-Presse . Jeddah, Saudi Arabia 08 March, 2025, 22:09

Supporters of the Islamist political party Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan hold placards during a rally in support of women in Gaza, to mark International Women’s Day in Lahore on Saturday. | AFP photo

The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation formally adopted early Saturday an Arab League counter-proposal to US president Donald Trump’s plan to take over Gaza and displace its residents, calling on the international community to support the regional initiative.

The decision by the 57-member grouping came at an emergency meeting in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, three days after the Arab League ratified the plan at a summit in Cairo.

The Egyptian-crafted alternative to Trump’s widely condemned takeover proposes to rebuild the Gaza Strip under the future administration of the Palestinian Authority.

The OIC ‘adopts the plan... on the early recovery and reconstruction of Gaza’, a communique said.

The body, which represents the Muslim world, urged ‘the international community and international and regional funding institutions to swiftly provide the necessary support for the plan’.

Trump triggered global outrage when he suggested the US ‘take over’ Gaza and turn it into the ‘Riviera of the Middle East’, while forcing its Palestinian inhabitants to relocate to Egypt or Jordan.

Egyptian foreign minister Badr Abdelatty welcomed the OIC endorsement and said he now hoped to gain support from the wider international community, including the US.

‘The next step is for the plan to become an international plan through adoption by the European Union and international parties such as Japan, Russia, China and others,’ Abdelatty said.

‘This is what we will seek and we have contact with all parties, including the American party.’

However, the Egyptian proposal—which does not outline a role for Hamas, which controls Gaza—has already been rejected by both the US and Israel.

The plan ‘does not meet the expectations’ of Washington, state department spokesperson Tammy Bruce told reporters on Thursday.

Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, however, gave a more positive reaction, calling it a ‘good-faith first step from the Egyptians’.

Trump’s plan has united Arab countries in opposition, and Rabha Seif Allam, of the Al-Ahram centre for political and strategic studies in Cairo, said Egypt was seeking ‘broad support’ for its proposal.

‘This is an attempt to build a broad coalition that refuses the displacement’ of Palestinians from Gaza, she said.​

 

[Saif]

Israel carries out strike on Hamas in northern Gaza

Israel carried out an air strike on Hamas members in northern Gaza yesterday, rattling an already fragile ceasefire as it prepared for fresh talks in Doha on the future of its truce with Hamas.

www.thedailystar.net

Israel carries out strike on Hamas in northern Gaza
Hamas pushes for phase two of Gaza truce, stresses urgent need for aid to re-enter enclave
​

• Hamas's key demands for 2nd phase include a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza​
• Israel wants an extension of truce's first phase until mid-April​

Israel carried out an air strike on Hamas members in northern Gaza yesterday, rattling an already fragile ceasefire as it prepared for fresh talks in Doha on the future of its truce with Hamas.

Hamas called for an immediate start to negotiations on the ceasefire's second phase, which it hopes will lead to a permanent end to the war.

Representatives of the Palestinian group met with mediators in Cairo over the weekend, stressing the urgent need for humanitarian aid to re-enter the besieged territory "without restrictions or conditions", according to a Hamas statement.

"Hamas stresses the urgency of forcing the occupation to immediately begin second-phase negotiations under the agreed parameters," senior Hamas leader Mahmoud Mardawi told AFP, adding that this would pave the way for a permanent end to the war.

Hamas's key demands for the second phase include a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, an end to the Israeli blockade, the reconstruction of the Palestinian territory and financial support, Mardawi said. Following talks with mediators, Hamas spokesperson Abdel Latif Al-Qanoua said indicators were so far "positive".

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said it would send delegates to Doha today, while the Israeli media reported that the government's security cabinet was due to discuss the matter later yesterday.

Israel says that it wants an extension of the truce's first phase until mid-April.

The initial period of truce ended on March 1 after six weeks of relative calm that included the exchange of 25 living hostages and eight bodies for the release of about 1,800 Palestinian prisoners held in Israel.

The truce largely halted more than 15 months of fighting in Gaza, where virtually the entire population was displaced by Israel's relentless military campaign.

It also enabled the flow of vital food and medical assistance into Gaza. After Israel cut off that flow again, UN rights experts accused the government of "weaponising starvation".​

 

[Saif]

Israel, Hamas signal readiness for next ceasefire talks

Hamas said there were "positive indicators" for the start of the ceasefire's second-phase talks but did not elaborate.

en.prothomalo.com

Israel, Hamas signal readiness for next ceasefire talks
Reuters
Published: 09 Mar 2025, 10: 23

Members of the Hamas security forces deploy in Nuseirat in the central Gaza Strip on 19 January 2025, hours before a ceasefire deal in the war between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas was implemented. AFP

Israel and Hamas signalled on Saturday they were preparing for the next phase of ceasefire negotiations, as mediators pushed ahead with talks to extend the fragile 42-day truce that began in January.

Hamas said there were "positive indicators" for the start of the ceasefire's second-phase talks but did not elaborate.

Israel also said it was preparing for talks. "Israel has accepted the invitation of the mediators backed by the US, and will send a delegation to Doha on Monday in an effort to advance the negotiations," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said.

A delegation from Hamas is engaging in ceasefire talks in Cairo with Egyptian mediators who have been helping facilitate the talks along with officials from Qatar. They aim to proceed to the next stage of the deal, which could open the way to ending the war.

"We affirm our readiness to engage in the second-phase negotiations in a way that meets the demands of our people, and we call for intensified efforts to aid the Gaza Strip and lift the blockade on our suffering people," Hamas spokesman Abdel-Latif Al-Qanoua said in a statement.

In a later statement reporting its delegation's meeting with the head of Egypt's general intelligence agency, Hassan Mahmoud Rashad, Hamas affirmed the group's approval of forming a committee of what it described as "national and independent" characters to run Gaza until elections.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi earlier said Cairo had worked in cooperation with Palestinians on creating an administrative committee of independent, professional Palestinian technocrats entrusted with the governance of Gaza after the end of the Israel-Gaza war.

His remarks came during the Arab summit which adopted Egypt's alternative reconstruction plan for Gaza, as opposed to US President Donald Trump's "Middle East Riviera" vision.

Even as diplomacy continued, an Israeli airstrike killed two Palestinians in Rafah in southern Gaza on Saturday, medical sources said.

The Israeli military said its aircraft struck a drone that crossed from Israel into southern Gaza and "several suspects" who tried to collect it in what appeared to be a botched smuggling attempt.

The strike came after an Israeli drone strike killed two people in Gaza on Friday. The Israeli military said it attacked a group of suspected fighters operating near its troops in northern Gaza and planting an explosive device in the ground.

The Gaza ceasefire deal that took effect in January calls for the remaining 59 hostages in Hamas captivity to be freed in a second phase, during which final plans would be negotiated for an end to the war.

The first phase of the ceasefire ended last week. Israel has since imposed a total blockade on all goods entering the enclave, demanding that Hamas free the remaining hostages without beginning the negotiations to end the Gaza war.

Fighting has been halted since 19 January and Hamas has released 33 Israeli hostages and five Thais for some 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees. Israeli authorities believe fewer than half of the remaining 59 hostages are still alive.

Israel's assault on the enclave has killed more than 48,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health authorities. It has also internally displaced nearly Gaza's entire population and led to accusations of genocide and war crimes that Israel denies.

The assault began after Hamas-led Islamist fighters raided southern Israel on 7 October, 2023, killing around 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages, according to Israeli tallies.​