Hamas-Israel Truce Opens Door for UN Relief Push
Qatar says Hamas has accepted terms for a 60-day ceasefire. The UN signals readiness to launch a major humanitarian operation if the deal holds, while the world awaits Israel’s response.
United Nations
Sphinx News: Ahmed Ali
Reports of a 60-day ceasefire between Israel and Hamas are gaining traction. UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric says the organization will “take what it can get”, if it means launching a long-awaited humanitarian operation in war-torn Gaza.
Qatari foreign ministry spokesperson Majed al-Ansari, said today that the militia group has agreed to a 60 day ceasefire proposal. The proposal mitigated by Qatari and Egyptian officials was said by al-Ansari, to have included, “a clear path to a permanent ceasefire.”
Along with a 60-day halt in violence from both parties—particularly Israeli forces—the conditions include the release and exchange of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners. They also call for the redeployment of an 800-meter buffer zone, the partial withdrawal of Israeli troops from certain areas of the enclave, and a significant increase in the flow of humanitarian aid into the strip.
UN Spokesperson for the Secretary-General, Stéphane Dujarric, welcomed the potential deal. He noted that while a longer period would be necessary to treat the 90% of the population reported to be in critical condition, the UN will treat the 60-day ceasefire with the utmost urgency and commitment.
From the United Nations alone, there are a reported 6,000 trucks loaded with aid, waiting in Jordan and Egypt for approval to enter Gaza.
