Israel is today bombing the Gaza Strip, including Rafaelwhile clashes between the Israeli army and Hamas continue.
At the same time, consultations began in Paris to reach a ceasefire between Israel and Israel Hamas and according to the French presidency, there are discussions about the implementation of the “two-state solution”.
This morning, according to testimonies from Palestinians and also from AFP teams, there were Israeli attacks in Rafah (south) as well as in Deir al-Balakh (center).
“We hope that the Court’s decision will put pressure on Israel end this war of extermination because there is nothing left here,” Umm Mohammad Al-Asqa, a Palestinian from Gaza city who was displaced by the clashes in Deir al-Balakh, told AFP.
“But Israel is a state that considers itself above the law. Therefore, I do not believe that coups or war can be stopped in any other way than by violence,” said Mohamed Saleh, who was speaking to AFP in this city located in the central part of the Palestinian enclave.
Earlier this week, the International Criminal Court prosecutor requested arrest warrants for Hamas and Israeli leaders, including Benjamin Netanyahu, for alleged crimes in Israel and the Gaza Strip.
Although the Israeli government reacted strongly to the prosecutor’s announcement, it instructed its negotiators to “return to the negotiating table to secure the return of the hostages,” according to a senior official.
At the beginning of May, indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas, mediated by Qatar, Egypt and the USA, failed to reach a ceasefire agreement linked to the release of hostages and Palestinians held in Israeli prisons.
CIA chief William Burns was expected in Paris for talks on a ceasefire in Gaza, a source with knowledge of the matter told AFP.
French President Emmanuel Macron yesterday received the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Qatar, the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Jordan to “press for a ceasefire”, according to Cairo.