Gaza: Israeli Bombings Continue Despite Calls to Stop them and an Agreement from Hamas

The Israeli army announced on Saturday its intention to continue its operations in Gaza despite calls from hostage families and Donald Trump to immediately stop the bombings, after a Hamas agreement to release the captives

On Friday, the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas said it was ready for immediate negotiations with a view to the release of the hostages and an end to the war which has ravaged the Gaza Strip for almost two years, as part of a proposed plan. by the American President. Donald Trump immediately called on Israel to “immediately stop the bombing in Gaza, so that we can get the hostages out quickly and safely”.

But local Civil Defense reported “violent” Israeli shelling at night, killing six people in the hungry and besieged Palestinian territory. “The bombings were intense all night. I was happy when Trump announced a ceasefire, but the fighter jets did not stop their attacks […], said Jamila al-Sayyed, reached by telephone in Gaza City.

“For your safety, avoid returning to the north or approaching areas where troops are active, including in the southern Gaza Strip. “

Israeli troops are still carrying out operations in Gaza City, and it is extremely dangerous to return there. For your safety, avoid returning to the north or approaching areas where troops are active, including in the southern Gaza Strip, said Avichay Adraee, an army spokesperson Israeli.

“President Trump’s demand to immediately end the war is essential to prevent the hostages from suffering serious and irreversible harm”, the Hostage Families Forum said in a statement. After Hamas’ response to the Trump plan, Israel said on Saturday that it was preparing “for the immediate implementation of the first stage of the plan for the release of all the hostages”, without mentioning stopping its bombings.

Of the 251 people kidnapped in the October 7 attack, 47 are still hostages in Gaza, 25 of whom are dead according to the Israeli army.

The American plan provides for a ceasefire, the release of hostages within 72 hours, the phased withdrawal of the Israeli army from Gaza, the disarmament of Hamas and the exile of its fighters. It also provides for the establishment of a transitional authority made up of technocrats headed by Donald Trump and the deployment of an international force. It excludes any role for Hamas “in the governance of Gaza”.

In its official statement, Hamas wrote: “in order to end the war and achieve the complete (Israeli) withdrawal from Gaza, the movement announces its agreement to release all” the living hostages and return the bodies of the deceased hostages, in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, “according to the exchange formula proposed by President Trump”. He also said he was ready for immediate negotiations on the “details” of the releases. But Hamas does not mention the question of its disarmament and emphasizes that it will participate in discussions on the future of the territory.

On Saturday, a Hamas leader said the movement was ready to begin negotiations to resolve “all issues”, after another senior official of the movement, Mahmoud Mardawi, called the US plan “vague and ambiguous”. Hamas, in this context, announced that Egypt would organize a conference bringing together the different Palestinian factions to decide on the future of the post-war Gaza Strip, on an unspecified date.