Hamas says ‘won’t accept language of American and Israeli threats’ over Gaza truce
Hamas said on Wednesday it will not accept threats from the US and Israel over an ongoing truce in Gaza, amid an impasse between the parties over the implementation of the ceasefire deal, reports Agence France-Presse (AFP).
“Our position is clear, and we will not accept the language of American and Israeli threats. Israel must commit to implementing the terms of the ceasefire agreement for the release” of the hostages, Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem said in a statement.
Key events
Egyptian president and king of Jordan agree Gaza should be rebuilt without displacing Palestinians – Egypt’s presidency
Egyptian president Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Jordanian King Abdullah said that Gaza should be rebuilt without displacing Palestinians, Egypt’s presidency said in a statement reporting a phone call between the two on Wednesday.
Donald Trump has continued to push for a plan to resettle the Palestinian population to both Egypt and Jordan, a proposal both countries have rejected repeatedly.
Israel defence minister warns of ‘war’ in Gaza if Hamas halts hostages’ release
Israel’s defence minister Israel Katz warned that the country would resume its war in Gaza if Hamas fails to uphold the ceasefire agreement and release Israeli hostages by Saturday, Agence France-Presse reports.
“The new Gaza war will be different in intensity from the one before the ceasefire, and it will not end without the defeat of Hamas and the release of all the hostages. It will also allow the realisation of US president (Donald) Trump’s vision for Gaza,” Katz said, referring to Trump’s plan for the US to take over the Palestinian territory.
United Arab Emirates president Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan told US secretary of state Marco Rubio on Wednesday that peace efforts in the region should be on the basis of a two-state solution for the Israel-Palestinian conflict, state news agency WAM reported.
It said the UAE categorically rejected any attempt to displace the Palestinians and deny them “inalienable rights”.
President Trump caused outrage in the Arab world earlier this week when he proposed the US should take over the Gaza Strip and Gazans should be resettled elsewhere.
Trump asked Jordan’s king to press Hamas on severity of Gaza situation
Donald Trump asked Jordanian King Abdullah to ensure the Hamas militants understand the “severity of the situation” if hostages are not released by Saturday’s deadline, the White House said on Wednesday.
“The president reiterated that Hamas must release all hostages, including all Americans, by Saturday, and asked for the King’s assistance in ensuring that Hamas, as well as the leaders of the region, understand the severity of the situation,” the White House said in a statement.
The two leaders held “a warm and productive working meeting at the White House” on Tuesday, it added.
Last year was the deadliest for journalists in recent history, with at least 124 reporters killed – and Israel responsible for nearly 70 percent of that total, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) reported on Wednesday.
A total of 85 journalists died in the Israel-Gaza war, “all at the hands of the Israeli military,” the CPJ said, adding that 82 of them were Palestinians.
It was the deadliest year for reporters and media workers since CPJ began keeping records more than three decades ago, with journalists murdered across 18 different countries, it said.
The uptick in killings, which marks a 22 percent increase from 2023, reflects “surging levels of international conflict, political unrest and criminality worldwide,” the CPJ said.
Hamas says ‘won’t accept language of American and Israeli threats’ over Gaza truce
Hamas said on Wednesday it will not accept threats from the US and Israel over an ongoing truce in Gaza, amid an impasse between the parties over the implementation of the ceasefire deal, reports Agence France-Presse (AFP).
“Our position is clear, and we will not accept the language of American and Israeli threats. Israel must commit to implementing the terms of the ceasefire agreement for the release” of the hostages, Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem said in a statement.
Here are some of the latest images coming in today via the newswires:
Islamic Jihad says fate of hostages it holds is tied to Netanyahu’s actions
The armed wing of Palestinian militant group Islamic Jihad, which has been holding Israeli hostages since 7 October 2023, said on Wednesday that the fate of those hostages was tied to the actions of Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, reports Reuters.
“The only way to retrieve hostages and for stability to come back is through a swap deal,” the group’s spokesperson said on Telegram.
Israeli military calls up reservists as concern over Gaza ceasefire mounts
Israel’s military has called up reservists in preparation for a possible resumption of fighting in Gaza if Hamas fails to meet a Saturday deadline to release more Israeli hostages and a nearly month-old ceasefire breaks down, reports Reuters.
Concern that the ceasefire will collapse is growing as fury mounts in Arab countries over US president Donald Trump’s plan for the United States to take over Gaza, resettle its Palestinian inhabitants and develop the Gaza Strip into the “Riviera of the Middle East”.
Under the ceasefire deal in force since 19 January, Hamas agreed to free three more hostages on Saturday. But Hamas said this week it was suspending the handover over what it said were Israeli violations of the terms.
Trump responded by saying all hostages must be freed by noon on Saturday or he would “let hell break out”.
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu then warned on Tuesday that his country would resume “intense fighting” if Hamas did not meet the deadline, but did not say how many hostages should be freed.
Netanyahu said he had ordered the military to gather forces in and around Gaza, and the military announced it was deploying additional forces to Israel’s south, including mobilising reservists, reports Reuters.
Egypt and Qatar intensifying efforts to save Gaza ceasefire deal, Egypt TV reports
Egypt and Qatar are intensifying efforts to save the Gaza ceasefire deal after pressure from the United States and Israel to resume military operations, state-affiliated Egypt’s al Qahera news TV reported on Wednesday, citing an Egyptian source.
US president Donald Trump on Tuesday warned that “hell will break loose” if Israeli hostages were not released by Hamas on Saturday, as scheduled under the ceasefire.
Hamas has postponed the release of hostages, accusing Israel of violating the ceasefire’s terms.
The Palestine Red Crescent Society’s (PRCS) disaster risk management teams, in partnership with international organisations and local committees, have begun setting up camps in Gaza to provide “urgent relief services amid the catastrophic humanitarian conditions in the Gaza Strip”, the charity said on Wednesday.
In a post on X, the PRCS said that so far, 1,490 tents have been distributed in north Gaza and 1,600 in Gaza governorate. It added:
Work will continue today in Rafah, where hundreds of tents are expected to be distributed to establish camps managed by local committees.
This initiative is part of the PRCS’s ongoing efforts to strengthen emergency response, provide health and relief support to those affected, and ensure the delivery of food aid and essential supplies to families in need.”
Hamas says group’s delegation in Cairo for talks on Gaza ceasefire
Agence France-Presse (AFP) have a little more on the news we just reported that a Hamas delegation has arrived in Cairo.
“A delegation headed by Khalil al-Hayya, head of the Hamas movement in the Gaza Strip, arrived in Cairo and began meetings with Egyptian officials, and followed up on the implementation of the ceasefire agreement,” Hamas said in a statement, according to AFP.
An official told AFP the delegation “will discuss ways to end the current crisis and ensure the occupation’s commitment to implementing the agreement”.
Reuters reports that a Hamas delegation has arrived in Cairo for further Gaza ceasefire talks.
An earlier statement by the group praised Jordan and Egypt for “rejecting displacement” plans for Palestinians in Gaza as proposed by US president Donald Trump, who has appeared in public to endorse the ethnic cleansing of the Gaza Strip as well as future US ownership of the territory.
