Israel and the USA agree to buy 25 fighter jets. According to the UN, vital desalination plants have also been shut down. The news at a glance.
Following the plan for an agreement to end the Gaza war announced by US President Joe Biden, Israel’s most important ally wants to secure the backing of the UN Security Council. The US has said it has introduced a corresponding resolution. By adopting the draft resolution, the Council must insist that the Islamist Hamas accept the agreement, including the release of the hostages.
The G7 group demonstratively backed the offer for an agreement presented by Biden, which Israel is said to have already agreed to. They “fully support” the plan because it will lead to a permanent end to the crisis, according to a statement from the Italian G7 presidency.
Netanyahu: No ceasefire without fulfillment of conditions
However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu raised doubts as to whether an agreement with Hamas would be reached. “The claim that we have agreed to a ceasefire without our conditions being met is not correct,” Netanyahu said of Biden’s move, according to his office.
A senior Israeli official told NBC News that Biden had not “accurately” reported Israel’s proposal. Biden himself, however, sees it as the “best possible opportunity for an agreement” in the stalled negotiations. In a telephone call with Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, the US president reaffirmed Israel’s willingness to accept the conditions that have now been offered to Hamas, the White House said.
Israel: Four hostages killed in Hamas captivity
Netanyahu had made it clear, however, that Israel’s conditions for ending the war had not changed: the destruction of Hamas and the release of all hostages. According to Israeli information, four hostages kidnapped by Hamas were killed in captivity. Israeli army spokesman Daniel Hagari said the four men died several months ago in Khan Yunis in the south of the Gaza Strip. The exact circumstances were initially unclear. It is feared that a large proportion of the 124 hostages still being held in Gaza are dead.
For weeks, the US, Qatar and Egypt have been mediating between Israel and Hamas to achieve a ceasefire and an exchange of hostages for Palestinian prisoners. Biden surprisingly presented details of a draft deal in three phases. Netanyahu’s right-wing religious coalition partners have since threatened to collapse the coalition if Israel agrees to the deal.
Netanyahu said in parliament behind closed doors that the wording of the proposal would allow Israel to resume fighting if talks on a permanent ceasefire do not progress at a later stage, the Wall Street Journal quoted an official as saying.
USA: Israel’s offer is the result of intensive diplomacy
White House National Security Council Communications Director John Kirby stressed that the proposal on the table was one from the Israeli side and was “the result of intense diplomacy.” Biden “described it well and now it is up to Hamas to accept it.”
Israeli officials feared that Netanyahu’s recent comments could sabotage the “constructive ambiguity” in the proposal, the news portal Axios wrote. The wording of the proposal allows both sides to enter the first phase of the agreement, which includes the release of a group of hostages and a 42-day ceasefire. The question of whether this will actually end the war will be postponed until later.
G7 states: Hamas must agree to agreement
The G7 leaders called on the Islamist Hamas to accept the agreement with Israel. Countries with influence over Hamas should help to ensure that it agrees to the agreement, the joint statement continued. At the same time, the G7 group reiterated its support for a credible path to peace that should ultimately lead to a two-state solution.
The G7 includes Germany, France, Great Britain, Italy, Japan, Canada and the USA. In his conversation with the country’s emir, US President Biden called on Qatar to take all appropriate measures to ensure Hamas’ acceptance of the agreement, the White House said. Hamas is now the only obstacle to a complete ceasefire and the liberation of the people of the Gaza Strip.
Fighting in Gaza continues
Meanwhile, the fighting in the sealed-off coastal strip continues unabated. The Israeli army came across more Hamas tunnels and weapons depots during its advance in Rafah in southern Gaza, the military announced. “Terrorist infrastructure” was destroyed in the targeted operations. In addition, a Hamas weapons production facility was attacked from the air, it said.
According to an analysis by the United Nations satellite observation program UNOSAT, more than half of all buildings in the Gaza Strip have been damaged or completely destroyed by the war that has been going on for about eight months, as UNOSAT announced on X.
X-Contribution UNOSAT
In view of the high number of casualties and the disastrous supply situation for the people in the embattled Gaza Strip, a majority of 61 percent of the population in Germany is now against Israel’s military action in the sealed-off coastal strip. This is the result of a Forsa survey for the “Stern” newspaper. Only 33 percent support the military strikes by the Jewish state.
The data was collected by telephone from 1,003 respondents on May 30 and 31. This means that the survey is representative. In November, in a Forsa survey for the “Stern” newspaper, 62 percent of respondents were in favor of military action and 31 percent were against it. This means that the opinion has almost reversed in recent months.
UN criticizes Israel for violence in the West Bank
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, has denounced the significant increase in violence in the Israeli-occupied territories in the West Bank. He demanded that Israel be held accountable for the more than 500 Palestinians killed there by Israeli security forces and settlers since October 2023. Too often, unlawful killings are not investigated and perpetrators go unpunished.
Biden believes Netanyahu’s political calculation is possible
According to US President Joe Biden, there is reason to believe that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is continuing the war in the Gaza Strip for political reasons. When asked about this in an interview with Time Magazine, Biden initially said he did not want to comment on this, but then added: “There is every reason for people to draw that conclusion.” Before the war, there was a lot of criticism of Netanyahu’s policies. “So it’s an internal debate that doesn’t seem to have any consequences.”
Biden was later asked about this statement during an appearance in Washington and apparently corrected it somewhat. When asked by a reporter whether Netanyahu was playing a political game with the war, the politician replied: “I don’t think so. He is trying to solve a serious problem that he has.”
Israel agrees with USA to purchase 25 fighter jets
Israel has agreed with the USA to purchase 25 more F-35 (Adir) fighter jets. The Israeli Ministry of Defense announced that a corresponding agreement had been signed with the US government.
This is the third squadron of fighter jets of this type from the manufacturer Lockheed Martin to be integrated into the Israeli armed forces. This will give the Israeli Air Force 75 of these stealth jets. Delivery to Israel is to begin in 2028, with a delivery rate of three to five fighter jets per year. The cost is around three billion dollars (around 2.8 billion euros).
Reports of new Israeli operation against Hamas
According to media reports, the Israeli army has begun a new operation in the refugee district of Al-Bureij in the central part of the Gaza Strip. In addition to the air force, ground troops are also involved. The military was already in the area at the beginning of the year, but has since withdrawn, reported the Jerusalem Post. The Islamist Hamas is still strong in the densely populated area. Israel has set itself the goal of militarily destroying the terrorist organization.
UN: Desalination plants in Gaza Strip shut down
According to the UN, vital desalination plants in the Gaza Strip have been shut down due to a lack of fuel for power generators. “People do not have enough water,” warned the UN Palestinian relief agency on X. “Survival is a struggle.” Families and children have to travel long distances in the heat to get water. The organization called on Israeli authorities to provide immediate access to water.
“Children in Gaza are living an endless nightmare,” said another UNRWA X-post. “Bombardments, forced displacement, lack of food and water and no access to education are traumatizing an entire generation.”
EU: Israel and Hamas should accept peace agreement
The European Union is calling on Israel and the Islamist Hamas to accept the roadmap presented by US President Joe Biden for a permanent ceasefire in the Gaza war. EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell announced this on behalf of the union.
The plan is fully supported. It could lead to a permanent ceasefire, the release of all hostages taken to the Gaza Strip and more humanitarian aid.
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
