US President Joe Biden defends the ceasefire plan supported by his country in Gaza, seeing it as the best way to help civilian victims of “horrors of the war between Hamas and Israel”. He spoke on Sunday June 16 in a message to Muslims for Eid al-Adha. Joe Biden announced on May 31 a plan which provides, in a first phase, a six-week ceasefire accompanied by an Israeli withdrawal from densely populated areas of the Gaza Strip, the release of certain hostages and the release of Palestinians imprisoned by Israel.
The United States is pressing Israel and the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas to formally accept the project, approved by the UN Security Council on June 10. Israel has not officially made its position known, but Benjamin Netanyahu reaffirmed his determination to continue the war until the elimination of Hamas. The latter demanded “amendments” plan, according to a source close to the discussions, including a timetable for a permanent ceasefire and full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. Follow our live stream.
Relative calm in Gaza. The Gaza Strip experienced a day of relative calm on Sunday, after the Israeli army announced a pause in its operations along a road in the south of the Palestinian territory, where the UN fears widespread famine, to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid. On the first day of the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha, the territory bombarded by the Israeli army for more than eight months experienced a day “almost calm compared to previous days”declared Civil Defense spokesperson Mohamed Basal.
“No cessation of hostilities”. The army, however, stressed that there was no “clearly no cessation of hostilities in southern Gaza” and “operations in Rafah continue”. This break “tactical” And “local” must allow a “increase in the volume of humanitarian aid entering Gaza”announced the army.
Eleven dead soldiers. On Saturday, the Israeli army announced the death of eight soldiers whose armored vehicle was “hit by bomb explosion” in Rafah, two soldiers in northern Gaza and another who died of his wounds. This toll is one of the heaviest for the Israeli army in a single day since the start of the war.
