While a final decision from Israel remains pending, the apprehension within the Biden administration is palpable enough that the prospect of an incursion has surfaced in intelligence briefings for senior officials, CNN reports. "We are operating under the assumption that an Israeli military operation is in the coming months," a senior Biden administration official said.
Israel's Deputy UN Ambassador Jonathan Miller said on Tuesday Israel is committed to improving the humanitarian situation in Gaza and that the quantity and pace of aid depended on the capacity of the UN and other agencies.
The march comes as negotiations are underway in Qatar to bring about a deal between Hamas and Israel that would lead to a ceasefire in exchange for the release of hostages. US President Joe Biden has said such a deal was at hand but officials from Israel and Hamas were skeptical of his optimism.
In a televised speech, Haniyeh also called on Palestinians in Jerusalem and the West Bank to march to Al-Aqsa Mosque to pray on the first day of Ramadan on March 10, raising the stakes in the indirect talks for a truce deal to have come into force by then.
All the casualties, including Major Iftah Shahar and Captain Itai Seif, were part of the 432nd 'Zabar' Battalion in the Givati Brigade
Negotiators face an unofficial deadline of the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan around March 10, a period that often sees heightened Israeli-Palestinian tensions.
Almost 240 Israeli soldiers have died since the start of the ground operation launched by the IDF in the Gaza Strip on October 27.
On the civilian front, according to the proposal's text, responsibility for public order will be based on local actors with "management experience," – not identified with countries or agencies supporting terrorism; a de-radicalization program will be promoted in all religious, educational, and welfare institutions in the strip; Israel will work to close UNRWA and rehabilitation of the strip will only be possible after completing demilitarization.
"The information and testimonies we provide clarify beyond any doubt what occurred, but significant parts of the story are still ahead of us," the Association of Rape Crisis Centers in Israel said. The document was handed over to UN.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Dr. Majed Al-Ansari said on Tuesday evening that Hamas confirmed they had begun to deliver the medications to the hostages in exchange for medicines and humanitarian aid for Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
