The call of the new American ambassador from Israel to Hamas, in the context of the Israeli offensive in Gaza
The United States Ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee. Credit: Debbie Hill / Upi / Profimedia
The new US ambassador to Israel asked the Palestinian militant organization on Monday to accept an agreement that would ensure the issuance of hostages in exchange for humanitarian aid in the Gaza strip, AFP reports.
“We call on Hamas to sign an agreement so that the humanitarian aid can reach Gaza to people who desperately need it,” said Mike Huckabee, on Monday, in a video published on the X platform.
Huckabee's statement comes in the context in which Hamas reported on Thursday that he rejects the latest armistice proposal that Israel made and, according to a source within the organization, provided for an exchange of hostages and prisoners and the entry of aid in Gaza.
The chief negotiator of Hamas said that the organization has rejected any “partial” agreements and wants a comprehensive agreement, which includes “stopping the war” and the Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.
The war began in October 2023, after the attack by Hamas in Israel.
Israeli forces resumed the offensive against Hamas in March
The initial phase of the armistice that entered into force on January 15 ended in early March, and the two camps failed to reach an agreement on the next steps.
Hamas insisted that negotiations should focus on the second phase of the armistice, which will lead to the definitive termination of the war, in accordance with the working framework stated in January.
Instead, Israel requested an extension of the first phase. On March 2, he blocked the entrance of aid in Gaza, and on March 18 he resumed his air and terrestrial offensive.
Last week, the United Nations warned that the Gaza strip is faced with the most serious humanitarian crisis since the beginning of the war. Leaders from 12 humanitarian organizations said on Thursday that “hunger is not only a risk, but it is likely to spread rapidly in almost all parts”.
Also last week, the Israeli Minister of Defense mentioned that Israeli troops will remain in the “security areas” they created in Gaza even after a possible understanding for the end of the war.
“IDF (the Israeli army, no) will remain in the security areas as a buffer between the enemy and communities in any temporary or permanent situation in Gaza – as in Leban and Syria,” said Minister Israel Katz, quoted by Reuters.
