Bombings continued in Rafah and other locations in the Gaza Strip on Sunday.
Published on February 25, 2024 9:06 p.m
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Palestinians flee the city of Deir al-Balah in the Gaza Strip, February 25, 2024. (ALI JADALLAH / ANADOLU / AFP)
Benyamin Netanyahu estimated in an interview with CBS on Sunday, February 25 that a military offensive in Rafah would guarantee that Israel is “just weeks” away from a “total victory” over Hamas. According to the Gaza Strip Ministry of Health, bombings continued in this city and other locations in the Gaza Strip, bringing the death toll from the conflict to 29,692. Here's what to remember from Sunday.
According to UNRWA, famine in Gaza may be “avoidable.”
A famine in Gaza could still be “averted” if Israel allows humanitarian organizations to bring more aid, the head of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), Philippe Lazzarini, argued on Sunday. According to the United Nations, 2.2 million people in the Gaza Strip, the vast majority of the population, are at risk of famine. Severe food shortages could lead to an “explosion” in child mortality in the north of the territory, where one in six children under the age of two are victims of acute malnutrition.
“It is a man-made catastrophe (…) The world is committed to never allowing famine again,” wrote Philippe Lazzarini on the social network and protection for meaningful help.”
According to Washington, negotiations for a ceasefire are progressing
Discussions over a possible deal that would allow a ceasefire in Gaza advanced at recent talks in Paris, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said on Sunday. “It is true that the representatives of Israel, the United States, Egypt and Qatar (…) have agreed on the contours” of a possible agreement on the release of the hostages and “a temporary ceasefire” between the four. he said on CNN.
“I won’t go into detail because it’s still under negotiation,” Jake Sullivan added. “There should be indirect talks between Qatar and Egypt with Hamas because in the end they have to agree to the release of the hostages. This work continues,” he said. assured. We hope that in the coming days we can get to the point where there is actually a solid and final agreement on this issue.”
Tel Aviv announces the death of a soldier whose body is being held in Gaza
The Israeli military confirmed on Sunday that a 19-year-old soldier, Oz Daniel, was killed in Hamas attacks on October 7. According to the IDF, his remains are currently being held by the Islamist group in the Gaza Strip. This brings the number of hostages whose bodies are being held in Palestinian territory to 31.
The Families Forum, the main organization representing the families of the hostages kidnapped on October 7, paid tribute in a press release to a young man “who loved life and people and had an infectious smile and sense of humor.” Oz Daniel, who played guitar and was a fan of the band Guns N'Roses, “believed in the power of music to change the world,” the forum said. Although there are no remains, a funeral will be held on Monday in Kfar Saba, where the young man lived.
Netanyahu assures that a ceasefire would only “delay” the offensive in Rafah
“Total victory is within our reach, not within a few months, but within a few weeks, when we start the military operation in Rafah,” Benjamin Netanyahu said in an interview with the American broadcaster CBS on Sunday. According to Israel's prime minister, this southern city is Hamas's “last bastion.” The leader is determined to launch a ground offensive there despite international protests. “If we have an agreement [sur une trêve]it will be delayed somehow, but it will happen,” he said about this military operation.
Benyamin Netanyahu said he would meet with military officials on Sunday who would present him with a “dual plan, an evacuation plan.” [la population] and a plan to disband the remaining battalions of Hamas fighters. “There is space” for civilians “to go north of Rafah, to the areas where we have stopped fighting,” the Israeli prime minister said. According to the United Nations, almost 1.5 million people are crowded into this city on the border with Egypt in catastrophic humanitarian conditions.