Israel-Hamas Ceasefire Prospects Dim as Gaza’s Rafah Faces Onslaught: 10 Dead, 30 Hostages, and 28,858 Killed – Latest Updates and Impasse Details

– Calls for ceasefire in Israel
– Israel rejects calls for peace in Rafah.

Accident – Death – Obituary News : The chances of a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas appear to be fading as the United States indicated it would veto the latest attempt for a UN Security Council resolution. Additionally, mediator Qatar has acknowledged that talks for a truce have reached a stalemate. The ongoing efforts to halt the four-month-long conflict come as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared his refusal to heed international calls to spare the city of Rafah in Gaza, where approximately 1.5 million people have sought shelter.

Israel’s relentless pursuit to eliminate every Hamas unit has brought them closer to Rafah, with recent overnight assaults resulting in the deaths of at least 10 Gazans in the city and in central Gaza’s Deir al-Balah, as reported by official Palestinian news agency Wafa.

The conflict in Gaza began with an attack by Hamas on October 7, leading to the deaths of around 1,160 people in Israel, predominantly civilians, according to figures from Israeli authorities. Militants also took roughly 250 people captive, with 130 still held in Gaza, including 30 presumed dead.

Israel’s retaliatory strikes on Gaza have claimed the lives of at least 28,858 individuals, mostly women and children, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-controlled region. Concerns have been raised in neighbouring Egypt about a potential Israeli incursion into Rafah, which could prompt trapped Gazans to flee across the border. President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi reiterated Egypt’s opposition to any forced displacement into the Sinai desert.

Despite efforts to negotiate a temporary ceasefire in Cairo, Netanyahu has affirmed that Israeli troops will proceed with a ground invasion of Rafah. Thousands of Israelis gathered in Tel Aviv to demand immediate action and accuse the government of neglecting hostages.

The upcoming United Nations Security Council vote seems unlikely to progress the ceasefire initiative, with the United States already expressing opposition. A draft resolution from Algeria calls for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire, but the US favours a truce-for-hostages agreement that would pause hostilities for six weeks.

US President Joe Biden has been actively engaged in discussions with Netanyahu, as well as leaders from Egypt and Qatar, to advance the proposed deal. However, Qatar’s Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani has described the talks as “not very promising”, citing challenges posed by demands from several nations for further hostage releases as part of any new ceasefire agreement.

Hamas has threatened to withdraw from negotiations unless aid reaches the northern regions of Gaza, where famine is looming. The group insists on a complete cessation of hostilities, the release of Hamas prisoners, and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza. Netanyahu has rejected calls from some Western nations for unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state, citing the recent attack on October 7 as a hindrance to future peace agreements.

Recent events at a hospital in Gaza have further escalated tensions, with Israel detaining 100 individuals from the facility after a raid. Patients and medical staff at Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis are facing dire conditions without water, food, or electricity. The Israeli military justified the incursion, claiming they had credible intelligence that hostages were being held at the hospital, though no evidence was found to support this claim.

The power outage following the raid resulted in the deaths of six patients due to a lack of oxygen, according to Gaza’s health ministry. Witnesses reported that Israeli forces fired at anyone moving inside the hospital, intensifying the already precarious situation.

In northern Gaza, residents are resorting to grinding animal feed for sustenance as food shortages worsen. The UN has warned of an impending famine in Gaza, with aid deliveries being hindered by desperate individuals in Rafah intercepting trucks to secure provisions.

As the conflict persists, the humanitarian crisis in Gaza deepens, with many Gazans facing starvation and limited access to vital resources. Efforts to broker a ceasefire continue, but the path to peace remains uncertain amidst escalating tensions and humanitarian concerns..

Prospects ceasefire Israel rejects calls spare Rafah
Ceasefire Israel rejects calls spare Rafah.