Warning of “carnage” in Rafah – The night at a glance
Published: Thursday, Feb 15th 2024, 05:30
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In the Gaza war, efforts to achieve a new ceasefire and release the hostages have suffered a setback. According to media reports, Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu refused to send a delegation back to Cairo, where negotiations by international mediators were due to continue this Thursday, because of what he called the "delusional demands" of the Islamist Hamas. Relatives of the hostages held by Hamas reacted "stunned" and spoke of a "death sentence". Meanwhile, criticism of Israel's planned military offensive on Rafah in southern Gaza continues unabated. Federal Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said on Wednesday during another visit to Israel that an offensive in Rafah would be "a humanitarian catastrophe with an announcement". UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Martin Griffiths used unusually harsh words on Platform X (formerly Twitter) on Thursday night: "I fear a slaughter of people in Gaza."
USA talks with Israel about protection concept for Rafah
According to the US government, it is holding "intensive talks" with the Israeli leadership about a protection plan for the civilian population in Rafah. US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said: "We have made it clear both publicly and personally that we cannot support a military operation in Rafah until Israel has developed a humanitarian plan that can and will be implemented." Security advisor Jake Sullivan said that "we are in detailed discussions with the Israeli government right now". However, Miller said that they did not want to take part in speculation about what the protection concept would ultimately look like, but instead wanted to wait and see and then discuss it with the Israeli government.
Last week, Netanyahu ordered the military to present the government with plans for an offensive in Rafah and for the evacuation of the population there. The aim was to smash the last Hamas fighting units there, Netanyahu said. The announcement was met with fierce international criticism. "The Israeli government can no longer ignore these calls," said UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Griffiths in a statement. The head of the UN Palestinian Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) sees no possibility of evacuating people from Rafah. "Evacuation to where? There is no safe place in Gaza," Philippe Lazzarini told the "Neue Zürcher Zeitung" (Thursday).
Baerbock calls for a ceasefire
During her visit to Israel, Foreign Minister Baerbock previously called for a renewed ceasefire in the war. This would open a window of opportunity "to get the hostages released and to get more humanitarian aid in", Baerbock said on Wednesday. Following talks in Jerusalem, the minister called on the warring parties to accept a proposal from Qatar and Egypt for a ceasefire and the release of further hostages. However, Israel's head of government is demanding that Hamas give in before further negotiations. "I insist that Hamas give up its delusional demands. If they do, we will be able to make progress," said Netanyahu on Wednesday evening.
Senior representatives from the USA, Israel, Qatar and Egypt had not reached an agreement the previous day in Cairo, but had agreed to extend the talks at a lower official level by three days, as reported by the New York Times, citing an Egyptian official. The Israeli delegation, led by the head of the secret service Mossad, David Barnea, left Cairo in the evening. "No new proposal from Hamas for the release of our hostages was conveyed in Cairo," said Netanyahu. According to Israeli media, he is of the opinion that a return to the talks in Cairo makes no sense as long as Hamas demands the release of a large number of Palestinian prisoners in return for the hostages.
Hamas sends delegation to Cairo
According to Hamas circles, however, it is Israel that is not pressing ahead with the negotiations. A Hamas delegation is now in Cairo. Israeli officials have made it clear that the army will soon launch the planned offensive on Rafah in the south of the coastal strip if Hamas does not return to the negotiating table with a proposal that Israel considers more reasonable, the Wall Street Journal quoted a person familiar with Israel's position as saying. The people in Rafah needed "safe places and safe corridors to avoid being caught in the crossfire even further", Baerbock said. The people in Rafah could "not simply vanish into thin air", she said during her fifth visit to Israel since the Hamas terror attack in Israel on October 7. More border crossings must be opened so that more aid supplies and medicines can be brought in, Baerbock said. UN staff must also be able to rely on security guarantees in order to continue distributing aid.
What will be important on Thursday
Foreign Minister Baerbock is continuing her visit to Israel. Among other things, the Green politician will meet with Israeli President Izchak Herzog in the morning. A meeting with Benny Gantz, Minister in the Israeli War Cabinet, is also planned. The talks are also likely to focus on Israel's planned military offensive in Rafah and the humanitarian situation of the civilian population. Baerbock also wants to meet relatives of the hostages still being held in Gaza. She travels back to Berlin on Thursday evening.
©Keystone/SDA
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