Hope for a ceasefire in the Gaza war – The night at a glance
Published: Thursday, Feb 29th 2024, 06:00
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Despite the extremely tough negotiations on a temporary ceasefire in the Gaza war and further hostage releases, there is still hope that progress will be made soon. Recently, there have been cautiously optimistic signals from negotiating circles regarding the talks between Israel and the Islamist Hamas. Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has now also expressed hope for a ceasefire within days.
Meanwhile, the humanitarian emergency in the Gaza Strip continues to worsen, with the United Nations now not ruling out the possibility of supplying the more than two million people by air. There are chaotic scenes and scuffles during the distribution of aid supplies. Aid workers from the organization Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) see the healthcare system in the densely populated coastal area completely collapse.
Egyptian president expresses hope for ceasefire
Egypt's President al-Sisi said at an event broadcast by Al Qahera News TV on Wednesday that an early ceasefire would be important in order to provide real help to the suffering people in the Gaza Strip. He also responded to accusations that his country was abandoning the people in Gaza by not allowing them to leave via the border to Egypt. "It was very important to us from day one that the Rafah border crossing would be a route for aid deliveries," said Al-Sisi. He added that his country had never closed the border crossing, but had to be careful in the current situation. Egypt is concerned about a possible mass exodus of refugees from the Gaza Strip towards Egypt.
Report: Fierce scuffles over aid deliveries in the Gaza Strip
In view of the disastrous humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, the United Nations is not ruling out supply flights. "Ideally, we want to move things by road, we want more roads to be open, we want more border crossings open. But as I said, all options remain on the table for the World Food Program WFP," said UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric in New York on Wednesday. Dropping humanitarian aid, which other countries such as Jordan and France are already doing over the Gaza Strip, is seen by the United Nations as a last resort because it is associated with technical difficulties and enormous costs. However, the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip has recently worsened because many trucks carrying aid are not being allowed through to their destination.
According to a CNN report, there were chaotic scenes during the distribution of air-dropped aid supplies. Footage from the US broadcaster showed desperate men using whips to try and secure aid supplies. According to the report, some people even swam and paddled out to sea after an aid plane apparently missed its target. Hundreds of Palestinians crowded onto the beaches of the central Gaza Strip and in the south of the coastal area to get a share of the supplies. CNN footage shows some of them using long wooden sticks to try to keep other people away from the goods they have fished out of the sea.
Doctors Without Borders: Healthcare system collapses
In view of the dramatic situation in the Gaza Strip, the medical staff there are barely managing to provide people with adequate care, according to Doctors Without Borders. "The healthcare system has been attacked - it is collapsing. The whole system is collapsing," said the organization's director general, Meinie Nicolai, in a video message on the X platform (formerly Twitter).
Meanwhile, the Kamal Adwan hospital in Jabalia in the north of the coastal strip suspended its medical activities due to a lack of fuel. This exacerbated the situation and meant that thousands of patients could no longer be treated, said the hospital's director, Ahmed Kahalot.
Palestinian foreign minister: no government with Hamas participation
Palestinian Foreign Minister Riad Malki has ruled out any government participation by the militant Islamist Hamas, which rules the Gaza Strip, for the time being. It is not the right time for a national coalition government, Malki said in Geneva on the sidelines of a meeting of the UN Human Rights Council. In his view, Hamas supports the formation of a government of technocrats. Their immediate task would be to save Palestinian lives and end the war. Once this had happened, elections could be considered, said Malki. There was no time for this.
Activists: Israel fires at targets near Syrian capital Damascus
Meanwhile, according to activists, the Israeli armed forces attacked targets near the Syrian capital Damascus. Two sites belonging to the Lebanese Shia militia Hezbollah and pro-Iranian militias were bombed south of Damascus late on Wednesday evening, according to the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The attacks led to casualties - no figures were given. However, the Syrian Ministry of Defense said that air defence systems had intercepted most of the missiles. Israel's military did not wish to comment on the reports.
Renewed clashes in the Israeli-Lebanese border region
According to the Israeli army, several rockets were fired from Lebanon towards Israel. Some of them fell in Lebanon, while the rest fell on Israeli territory. Sirens were sounding in the north of the country in the afternoon. There were initially no reports of casualties.
According to the military, Israeli fighter jets had previously attacked a launching pad in Lebanon. This had been used to fire on the area of the village of Kiriat Shmona, almost directly on the border with the northern neighboring country. According to the army, Hezbollah's military infrastructure was also hit in the attacks. Hezbollah did not initially comment on the incidents in the border region.
What will be important on Thursday
Efforts to achieve a temporary ceasefire in the Gaza war continue. Meanwhile, the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip continues to deteriorate.
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