Middle East Crisis

Peace Talks
UN: Gaza ceasefire crucial

The UN is once again calling for all border crossings to be opened to allow supplies to enter, AFP reports. Abeer Etefa, a spokesperson for the UN World Food Programme, also stresses that maintaining the Gaza ceasefire is crucial to delivering humanitarian aid.

“It is really the only way we can save lives,” she said at a briefing in Geneva.

She said 530 trucks from the organisation have crossed the border into Gaza, bringing in more than 6,700 tonnes of food since the ceasefire came into effect. That is “enough for almost half a million people for two weeks”.

The UN World Food Programme now has 26 food distribution points open in Gaza, an increase from just five on Friday.

Sources: US Concerns That Israel Will Break the Agreement

The Trump administration wants to try to prevent Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from scrapping the agreement and resuming attacks on Gaza, US officials say, according to the New York Times.

US Vice President JD Vance is on his way to Israel, several media outlets report. The reason for the visit is to illustrate the US commitment to keeping the agreement intact, the newspaper writes.

Before the visit, he said he would “check how things are going” with the ceasefire, according to Sky News.

Gaza War
Expert: Hamas Not Crushed – Those Killed Will Be Replaced

Hamas’s capacity is greatly reduced and the group may not pose a threat to Israel in the near future, but the terrorist group has not been “crushed.” This is what Shalom Ben Hanan, with 30 years of experience in the Israeli security service, told NBC News.

According to Hamas itself, the group has between 15,000 and 25,000 fighters, slightly higher than the 10,000 to 20,000 fighters that Israel believes remain.

During the ceasefire, Hamas members are once again patrolling the streets of Gaza and it will not be difficult to recruit new ones, says Giora Eiland, former head of Israel's Security Council.

- It is very easy for them to recruit to replace those who have been killed.