Find here our update on yesterday’s situation.
CIA Director William Burns arrived in Cairo on Friday, May 3, for a new round of talks on the conflict, while Hamas announced in a statement that it “will go tomorrow Saturday” in the Egyptian capital, for “continue discussions” on the offer of a truce with Israel and ” come to an agreement “.
“We are going to Cairo in a positive spirit to reach an agreement”Hamas said, specifying that it would remain ” determined “as well as other Palestinian groups, to obtain “a total cessation of aggression” Israeli, “the withdrawal of the occupying forces” Israeli and “a serious exchange arrangement” Israeli hostages against Palestinian prisoners.
A compromise, which was discussed last week in Cairo, and which was validated by Israel, provides for an agreement on the release of fewer than 40 hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel. Secondly, the truce should result in a “period of lasting calm”, a compromise formula defined by Israel in response to Hamas’s demand for a permanent ceasefire. In this context, Israel would grant freedom of movement between the north and south of the Gaza Strip and initiate a partial withdrawal of its troops. The mediators are still awaiting Hamas’ response to this proposal. Hossam Badran, a member of the Hamas political bureau, accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday of multiplying media statements in order to torpedo efforts to obtain a truce.
Medical sources in the Gaza Strip reported on Friday new deadly Israeli strikes overnight, particularly in the Rafah sector. In retaliation for the Hamas attack against Israel on October 7, 2023 – which resulted in the death of 1,170 people, mainly civilians, according to a report from Agence France-Presse (AFP) established from official Israeli data –, the Israeli government launched an offensive in the Gaza Strip. The fighting left 34,622 people dead, mostly civilians, according to the health ministry in the territory controlled by Hamas. In twenty-four hours, at least 26 additional deaths were recorded, according to a press release from the ministry, which reported 77,867 injured.
Food situation slightly improving in Gaza, says WHO
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the director general of the World Health Organization, warned of a ground offensive by the Israeli army on the town of Rafah, in the south of the Gaza Strip. “WHO is deeply concerned that a large-scale military operation in Rafah, Gaza, could lead to bloodshed and further weaken a health system already on its knees”he wrote on X.
Especially since on site, “the food situation has improved a little”, announced Doctor Rik Peeperkorn, the WHO representative in the Palestinian territories, during a press briefing in Geneva. Speaking from Gaza, Dr. Ahmed Dahir, also from the WHO, made the same point. “Today there is more food coming in”, he said. The two WHO doctors recalled that the risk of famine has not disappeared.
International aid, strictly controlled by the Israeli authorities, arrives in trickles, mainly from Egypt, via Rafah. Kerem Shalom, a crossing point for aid from Israel, was reopened in December after American pressure to make the Jewish state reverse its initial decision to block all aid to the Gaza Strip. Following pressure from American President Joe Biden, Israel reopened the Erez crossing at the end of April providing access to the north of the Gaza Strip for aid coming from Jordan. Five Israeli associations have taken Israel to the Supreme Court to demand that it facilitate access for humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip.
The American army, for its part, moved the construction site on the open sea to the Israeli port of Ashdod for the construction of the artificial and temporary port to transport aid to Gaza, “due to sea conditions”, announced the US Military Command for the Middle East. The Pentagon announced this week that its construction is half complete.
Sciences Po Paris evacuated, other sites occupied in the region
The police intervened on Friday at Sciences Po Paris to evacuate the pro-Gaza activists who had occupied a building since the day before: the establishment and its campuses remain the epicenter, in France, of student mobilization in favor of Palestinians who ignite the political debate. “Firmness is and will remain total”said Matignon.
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Student mobilization in favor of Gaza and the Palestinians remains confined to Sciences Po Paris, its campuses in the regions (such as Le Havre, Dijon, Reims or Poitiers) and political studies institutes, but is struggling to spread in the universities. A rally in support of the Palestinian cause took place on Friday at 2 p.m. in Paris at the call of student unions. Other mobilizations took place in Reims, Lyon, Saint-Etienne and Lille.
Read also | Sciences Po Paris: several dozen students mobilized in support of Gaza expelled from the school by the police
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London takes new sanctions against Israeli “extremist settlers” in the West Bank
The United Kingdom announced on Friday that it had taken sanctions against Israeli settlers in the West Bank. “Extremist settlers undermine security and stability and threaten prospects for peace”declared the British Foreign Minister, David Cameron, quoted in a press release.
These sanctions target two groups: Hilltop Youth, for having established “illegal colonies (…) with the mission to expel all Palestinians from the occupied territories”according to London, as well as the Lehava movement, to have “facilitated, encouraged and promoted” violence against Arab and Palestinian communities.
Four individuals sanctioned: Noam Federman, former leader of the anti-Arab Kach movement (now banned). The three other people sanctioned are Eden Levi and Neria Ben Pazi, for their participation in attacks and intimidation against Palestinians, as well as Elisha Yered, “unofficial spokesperson for the Hilltop Youth group”. The latter two have also been under European Union sanctions since last month. The United States also took similar measures in February.
Remains of Israeli man previously considered hostage discovered in Israel
The remains of Eliakim Livman, a 24-year-old Israeli who authorities considered to be hostage in the Gaza Strip, were discovered in Israel, the army and his family announced Friday. Member of the security team of the Tribe of Nova music festival, he “was assassinated during the massacre of October 7 [2023] » And ” his body [a été] discovered in Israeli territory », announced the army in a press release. The Israeli army refused to specify where, when and how his remains were discovered. She simply indicated that they had been identified “thanks to clues found in the field and after an investigation (…) complex carried out by the Israeli armed forces and police and the National Institute of Forensic Medicine”. According to Israeli media, his remains were discovered buried with those of another victim killed during the festival.
He was killed at the Tribe of Nova festival site after passing “hours caring for the many injured”, his family said in a statement. Including Eliakim Livman, 365 people were killed at the festival site.
Death of an Israeli hostage held in the Gaza Strip.
Dror Or, aged 49, held in the Gaza Strip since October 7, 2023, was killed, Kibbutz Beeri where he lived said in a statement. His wife, Yonat, was killed during this assault, while two of their three children, Noam and Alma, aged 17 and 13 respectively, were kidnapped and then released as part of a truce agreement in the end of November. “It is now confirmed that Dror Or, kidnapped by Hamas on October 7 [2023]was murdered and [que] his body [a été] detained in Gaza », wrote the Israeli government on its official X account, specifying that Alma, Noam and their brother Yahli were now orphans. On October 7, Hamas fighters kidnapped more than 250 people. 128 remain captive in Gaza, 35 died, after the announcement of the death of Dror Or.
