
Saudi Arabia Condemns Israel's Resumption of Aggression against Gaza
Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs has denounced Israel's abruption of ceasefire deal with Hamas that came into effect on January 19, 2025.
According to the ministry's statement, the Kingdom emphasized the importance of an immediate end to Israel's violence and destruction.
The Kingdom also stressed the significance of protecting the Palestinian civilians from the Israeli aggression. Israel's Resumption of Aggression against Gaza
Netanyahu's office issued a statement saying that the strikes follow 'Hamas' repeated refusal to release the Israeli hostages, as well as its rejection of all of the proposals it has received from US Presidential Envoy Steve Witkoff and from the mediators.'
Today's extensive strikes have killed at least 400 Palestinians, mostly women and children, with Israel saying that the operation is open-ended and expected to expand.
The Kingdom's statement called the international community to fulfill its responsibilities and immediately put an end to Israel's crimes and the Palestinian people's sufferings.
Related Topics:
Israel Resumes War in Gaza, Kills at Least 300 Palestinians
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Arab News
2 hours ago
- Arab News
Israeli military will call up 50,000 reservists as it plans new phase of war in Gaza
JERUSALEM: An Israeli military official said on Wednesday that the country's top generals had approved plans to call up tens of thousands of reservists in order to begin a new phase of operations in some of Gaza's most densely populated areas. Speaking on the condition of anonymity in line with military regulations, the official said that the military will be operating in parts of Gaza City where the Israeli military has not yet operated and where Hamas is still active. Israeli troops are already operating in the Zeitoun and Jabaliya neighborhoods of Gaza City in order to prepare the groundwork for the expanded operation, which is expected to receive approval from the chief of staff in the coming days. It remains unclear when the operation will begin. The official said 50,000 reservists will be called up in the coming month, nearly doubling the number of active reservists to 120,000. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said earlier this month that the objective was to secure the release of the remaining hostages and ensure Hamas and other militants can never again threaten Israel. Hamas-led militants started the war when they attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting 251. Most of the hostages have been released in ceasefires or other deals. Hamas says it will only free the rest in exchange for a lasting ceasefire and an Israeli withdrawal. The planned offensive into Gaza City and the central camps has heightened international condemnation of Israel and fueled fears of another mass displacement among Palestinians. Hundreds of thousands of displaced people are sheltering in the city and its holds some of the last remnants of critical infrastructure remaining in Gaza. Mediators and Hamas say they have agreed to cease-fire terms, but Israel's response remains unclear as members of Netanyahu's coalition oppose a phased deal that doesn't 'complete the defeat of Hamas.'


Arab News
2 hours ago
- Arab News
Israel defense minister approves plan to conquer Gaza City
JERUSALEM: Israel's defense minister has approved a plan for the conquest of Gaza City and authorized the call-up of around 60,000 reservists to carry it out, his ministry confirmed on Wednesday. Defense Minister Israel Katz's move, confirmed to AFP by a spokesperson, piled pressure on Hamas as mediators pushing for a ceasefire in the nearly two-year war in Gaza awaited an official Israeli response on their latest proposal. While mediator Qatar had expressed guarded optimism over the latest proposal, a senior Israeli official said the government stood firm on its call for the release of all hostages in any agreement. The framework that Hamas had approved proposes an initial 60-day truce, a staggered hostage release, the freeing of some Palestinian prisoners and provisions allowing for the entry of aid into Gaza. Israel and Hamas have held on-and-off indirect negotiations throughout the war, resulting in two short truces during which Israeli hostages were released in exchange for Palestinian prisoners. The latest truce proposal came after Israel's security cabinet approved plans to conquer Gaza City, despite fears it will worsen the already catastrophic humanitarian crisis. Qatar and Egypt, backed by the United States, have mediated the frequent rounds of shuttle diplomacy. Qatar said the latest proposal was 'almost identical' to an earlier version agreed by Israel, while Egypt said Monday that 'the ball is now in its (Israel's) court.' Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has yet to publicly comment on the plan, but said last week that his country would accept 'an agreement in which all the hostages are released at once and according to our conditions for ending the war.' Senior Hamas official Mahmoud Mardawi said on social media that his group had 'opened the door wide to the possibility of reaching an agreement, but the question remains whether Netanyahu will once again close it, as he has done in the past.' The latest truce proposal came as Netanyahu faces increasing pressure at home and abroad. In Gaza, the civil defense agency reported Israeli strikes and fire killed 48 people across the territory on Tuesday. Agency spokesman Mahmud Bassal told AFP the situation was 'very dangerous and unbearable' in the Zeitoun and Sabra neighborhoods of Gaza City, where he said 'shelling continues intermittently.' The Israeli military declined to comment on specific troop movements, saying only that it was 'operating to dismantle Hamas military capabilities' and took 'feasible precautions to mitigate civilian harm.' The military later said a strike in Khan Yunis overnight targeted a Hamas militant. Media restrictions in Gaza and difficulties accessing swathes of the Palestinian territory mean AFP is unable to independently verify the tolls and details provided by the civil defense agency or the Israeli military. In the Zikim area of northern Gaza on Tuesday, an AFP journalist saw Palestinians hauling sacks of food aid along dusty roads lined with rubble and damaged buildings. Gazan Shawg Al-Badri said it took 'three to four hours' to carry flour, what she called 'white gold,' back to her family's tent. 'This bag is worth the whole world,' she said. Israel's offensive has killed at least 62,064 Palestinians, most of them civilians, according to figures from the health ministry in Gaza, which the United Nations considers reliable.


Saudi Gazette
4 hours ago
- Saudi Gazette
Israel demands release of all Gaza hostages, casting doubt on ceasefire proposal
CAIRO — Israel is demanding the release of all 50 hostages held in Gaza, an Israeli official has said, casting doubt on whether it will accept a new proposal for a 60-day ceasefire that Hamas agreed to on Monday. The proposal, put forward by Qatar and Egypt, would see the release of around half the hostages and is "almost identical" to a US proposal Israel had previously accepted, according to Qatar. Israel has not explicitly rejected it - but Israeli government spokesman David Mencer told the BBC that it is not interested in "partial deals". "Things have changed now. The prime minister has laid out a plan for the future of Gaza," Mencer said. Palestinian sources said the proposal would see 10 living and 18 dead hostages handed over while the sides negotiated a permanent ceasefire and the return of the other hostages. Israel believes that only 20 of the 50 hostages are still alive after 22 months of war. Later this week, the Israeli cabinet is expected to approve the military's plan to occupy Gaza City, where intensifying Israeli strikes have already prompted thousands of people to flee. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Israel's intention to conquer all of Gaza - including the areas where most of its 2.1 million Palestinian residents have sought refuge - after indirect talks with Hamas on a ceasefire deal broke down last month. On Monday night, a Hamas statement announced that the armed group and other Palestinian factions had approved a ceasefire proposal presented by Egyptian and Qatari mediators to their delegations in Cairo the previous day. Hamas official Taher al-Nunu told Al-Araby TV that they had not sought any amendments to the proposal, which he described as "a partial deal leading to a comprehensive deal". He also emphasised that on the first day of its implementation, negotiations would begin with the aim of agreeing a permanent ceasefire. Qatar's foreign ministry spokesman, Majed al-Ansari, told reporters in Doha on Tuesday that the proposal was "98%" similar to the one presented by US envoy Steve Witkoff in June. "It is within the confines of the Witkoff plan... It's a continuation of that process. Obviously, it's in the details where the devil lies," Ansari said. Witkoff proposed a 60-day truce that would see Hamas release 10 living hostages and the bodies of 18 dead hostages on days one and seven, in exchange for 125 Palestinian prisoners serving life sentences in Israeli jails, 1,111 detainees from Gaza and the bodies of 180 Gazans. Israel accepted Witkoff's plan, but Hamas rejected it, partly because it did not include a guarantee that the temporary ceasefire would lead to a permanent one. A Palestinian official told the BBC that the Egyptian and Qatari proposal would see Hamas release eight living hostages on day one and two more on day 50. Five dead hostages would be handed over on day seven, five more on day 30, and another eight on day 60. In return, Israel would release 1,500 detainees from Gaza as well as 150 Palestinian prisoners serving life sentences and 50 others serving terms longer than 15 years, the official said. Israeli forces would also withdraw to areas of Gaza located between 800m and 1.2km (0.5-0.75 miles) from the perimeter with Israel during the truce, but would remain stationed in the Morag and Philadelphi military corridors in the south of the territory, the official added. On Tuesday afternoon, an Egyptian source familiar with the negotiations told the BBC that the mediators had not yet received a formal response from Israel to the new proposal. However, the official in Prime Minister Netanyahu's office told Israeli journalists: "Israel's policy remains consistent and unchanged. Israel demands the release of all 50 hostages in accordance with the principles set by the cabinet to end the war." "We are in the final stage of defeating Hamas and will not leave any hostage behind." Although the statement was not an explicit rejection of the proposal, it does suggest that Israel may want to negotiate further. On Saturday night, Prime Minister Netanyahu's office put out a similar statement saying that Israel would only "agree to a deal on condition that all the hostages are released in one go" and that the conditions for ending the war included the disarming of Hamas, the demilitarisation of Gaza, Israeli control of the Gaza perimeter, and the installation of non-Hamas and non-Palestinian Authority governance. Netanyahu said in a video on Monday that he had discussed with senior Israeli military commanders their "plans regarding Gaza City and the completion of our missions". "Like you, I hear the reports in the media, and from them you can get one impression - Hamas is under immense pressure," he added. The prime minister himself faces pressure from his far-right coalition partners who want to keep the war going until Hamas's defeat and then annex Gaza. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said Israel must not accept a partial deal "that abandons half of the hostages and that could lead to the suspension of the war in defeat". "It is forbidden to surrender and give a lifeline to the enemy," he added. Hostages' families and a majority of the Israeli public meanwhile want Netanyahu to agree a deal with Hamas to end the war now and bring all the hostages home. "About a month ago, we were closer than ever to signing a deal. The Witkoff outline would have put Israel into intensive negotiations," Einav Zangauker, whose 25-year-old son Matan is believed to be among those still alive in captivity, told Israeli public broadcaster Kan. "Netanyahu... is deliberately setting unworkable conditions as an obstacle," she warned. The Israeli military launched a campaign in Gaza in response to the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage. At least 62,064 people have been killed in Gaza since then, according to the territory's Hamas-run health ministry. Most of Gaza's population has also been displaced multiple times; more than 90% of homes are estimated to be damaged or destroyed; the healthcare, water, sanitation and hygiene systems have collapsed; and UN-backed global food security experts have warned that the "worst-case scenario of famine is currently playing out" due to food shortages. — BBC