Warning of ‘massacre’ in Rafah – the night update Republicans warned of a ‘serious threat’ to the US – now it is clear why

In the Gaza war, efforts to broker a new ceasefire and release the hostages have suffered a setback. According to media reports, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu refused to send a delegation back to Cairo, where negotiations through international mediators were due to continue on Thursday, because of what he described as the “delusions” of the Islamist Hamas. Relatives of the hostages held by Hamas were “stunned” and spoke of a “death sentence.” Meanwhile, criticism of Israel’s planned military offensive on Rafah in southern Gaza continues. Federal Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said on Wednesday during another visit to Israel that an offensive in Rafah would be “a humanitarian catastrophe.” UN Emergency Aid Coordinator Martin Griffiths spoke unusually sharp words on Platform X on Thursday evening: “I fear a mass murder of people in Gaza.”

The US talks with Israel about a protection plan for Rafah

The US government says it is having “intensive discussions” with Israeli leaders about a protection concept for the civilian population in Rafah. US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said: “We have made it clear both publicly and privately that we cannot support a military operation in Rafah until Israel has developed a humanitarian plan that can be implemented and is being implemented.” There are “intensive discussions that we are currently having in detail with the Israeli government,” said security adviser Jake Sullivan. However, they do not want to participate in speculation about what the protection concept will ultimately look like, preferring to wait and then exchange views with the Israeli government, Miller said.

Last week, Netanyahu ordered the army to submit to government plans for an offensive in Rafah and the evacuation of the population there. The aim is to destroy the last Hamas fighting units there, Netanyahu said. The announcement caused strong international criticism. “The Israeli government can no longer ignore these calls,” said a statement from UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Griffiths. The head of the Palestinian aid organization UNRWA sees no possibility of evacuating people from Rafah. ‘Evacuation to where? There is no safe place in Gaza,” Philippe Lazzarini told the “Neue Zürcher Zeitung” (Thursday).

Baerbock calls for a ceasefire

German Foreign Minister Baerbock previously called for a new ceasefire in the war during her visit to Israel. This would open a window “to free the hostages and get more humanitarian aid in,” Baerbock said Wednesday. After talks in Jerusalem, the minister called on the warring sides to accept a proposal from Qatar and Egypt for a ceasefire and the release of more hostages. However, the Israeli head of government demands that Hamas give in before further negotiations. “I insist that Hamas abandon its delusions. If she does this, we can move forward,” Netanyahu said on Wednesday evening.

Senior representatives from the US, Israel, Qatar and Egypt had failed to reach an agreement the day before in Cairo, but agreed to extend talks at lower official levels for three days, as the New York Times reported, citing an Egyptian official . The Israeli delegation, led by Mossad secret service chief David Barnea, left Cairo in the evening. “There has been no new proposal from Hamas for the release of our hostages in Cairo,” Netanyahu said. According to Israeli media, he takes the position that a return to the talks in Cairo makes no sense as long as Hamas demands the release of a large number of Palestinian prisoners in exchange for the hostages.

Hamas sends a delegation to Cairo

However, Hamas circles said it was Israel that was not making progress in the negotiations. A Hamas delegation is now in Cairo. Israeli officials have made clear that the army will soon launch the planned offensive on Rafah in the southern coastal strip if Hamas does not return to the negotiating table with a proposal that Israel considers wiser, the Wall Street Journal newspaper quoted one person as saying. as mentioned, who was familiar with Israel’s position. The people in Rafah needed “safe places and safe corridors to not get further caught in the crossfire,” Baerbock said. The people of Rafah “cannot just disappear into thin air,” she said during her fifth visit to Israel since the Hamas terrorist attack in Israel on October 7. More border crossings need to be opened so that more aid and medicine can be imported, Baerbock said. UN staff should also be able to rely on security guarantees to continue distributing aid.

(sda/dpa)