Egypt fears that an attack on the Rafah region would lead to civilian catastrophe as well as a huge refugee exodus to Egypt as Rafah borders the Sinai region of the country, emphasising the need for a ceasefire between the two countries. The discussions between Egyptian and Israeli officials thus focused on the first stage of a multi-phase plan that would include a limited exchange of hostages held by Hamas for Palestinian prisoners and the return of a significant number of displaced Palestinians to their homes in northern Gaza “with minimum restrictions,” the Egyptian official said.

Amidst these discussions, the US has postponed its decision on sending aid to Israeli battalions, as they accuse them of grave human-rights violations against Palestinians in the West Bank. In a letter to House Speaker Mike Johnson, the US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, stated that he is postponing the decision on blocking aid to the unit to give Israel more time to right the wrongdoing. Israeli leaders, who anticipated the US’s decision this week, have angrily protested any such aid restrictions.

Poll

Who will win the Punjab Elections?

BJP 32.86%

AAP 41.43%

INC 25.71%

Submit

View All In Poll

33
Hostages to be released, demands Israel

This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever