Conflict in the Middle East - The G7 backs Biden's peace initiative.
In their attempts to find a way out of the ongoing conflict between Israel and militant group Hamas in Gaza, the G7, a collective of the world's leading democratic industrialized countries, have thrown their support behind US President Joe Biden's peace plan. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz of the SPD, speaking on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Italy, expressed collective support for the proposal, stating, "We are happy that the UN Security Council has also backed this American president's plan." He then urged Hamas to give their approval, saying, "Now it's a matter of putting it into action."
Biden's proposal outlines a three-phase process: an initial six-week truce, followed by the release of specific captives. Those freed palestinians previously detained in Israel are to be used as bargaining chips. In phase two, fighting would cease permanently and remaining captives will be released. In the final phase, the rebuilding of the Gaza Strip would begin.
Addressing a joint press conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Biden said, "I've presented a plan supported by the UN Security Council, the G7, and the Israelis. Hamas is the main obstacle so far, as they're refusing to sign on, even though they have suggested something similar." He then promised, "We will continue to apply pressure."
During an interview with CNN, a Hamas spokesperson, Osama Hamdan, conceded a lack of information regarding the hostages believed to be held in the Gaza Strip. "I don't know. Nobody knows," he stated.
In the Gaza Strip, Israeli forces detained four captives during a large-scale military operation on Saturday. Public pressure in Israel has been mounting for the government, led by Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, to rescue all captives. The fate of the hostages is central to the indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas for a ceasefire.
During an Israeli military operation in the West Bank, at least two individuals were killed. The Israel Defense Forces raided a building situated in a village near the city of Jenin, targeting two "high-ranking, wanted suspects" who were located within. According to the army, the suspects were "eliminated" and weapons were found in their possession. It's unclear what connection the deceased had to militancy.
Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, a member of the far-right Religious Zionism party, plans to withhold 32.5 million USD from the Palestinian Autonomous Authority. Instead, he intends to disperse the funds among Israeli terror victims. He has signed a legal order to this effect using an online platform. The U.S. State Department spokesperson, Matthew Miller, criticized the move as "an extraordinarily misguided decision" that could further destabilize the situation in the West Bank. "We have told the Israeli government that these funds belong to the Palestinian population," Miller said.
According to various media outlets, an Israeli court has extended the broadcast ban imposed on Arab television network Al-Jazeera for a further 45 days. The courts in Tel Aviv reportedly found evidence of a close relationship between the Qatari-operated channel and Hamas. A fortnight ago, judges had already kept the channel off-air for 35 days, concerning the potential threat it poses to Israel's security due to its alleged closeness to the militant group. The Hamas political bureau is situated in Qatar.
