GAZA - Hamas is said to have rejected an Israeli proposal for a six-week ceasefire in Gaza which called for the armed group to give up its weapons. A senior Palestinian official familiar with the talks said the plan gave no commitment to ...
end the war or for an Israeli troop pull-out - key Hamas demands - in exchange for releasing half of the living hostages which it holds.
It comes as Israel continues its military offensive in Gaza. A security guard was killed and nine other people were injured in an air strike on a field hospital in Khan Younis, the hospital said. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it struck the head of a Hamas cell.
A UN agency meanwhile warned that "the humanitarian situation in Gaza is now likely the worst it has been in the 18 months since the outbreak of hostilities". It is six weeks since Israel allowed any supplies to enter through crossings into the Palestinian territory - by far the longest such stoppage to date. UN agencies strongly refute Israel's claim that there is enough food in Gaza to last for a long time and suggest the blockade could breach international humanitarian law. Israel's prime minister said the block on supplies was aimed at pressuring Hamas to release hostages and to extend the ceasefire which expired on 1 March.
At the same time, the UN's humanitarian affairs office stated: "Partners on the ground report a surge in attacks causing mass civilian casualties and the destruction of some of the remaining infrastructure that's needed to keep people alive." (BBC)
