As the clock ticks down on the Gaza ceasefire, Israel prepares for more war
CNN
The Gaza ceasefire looks increasingly like it may end up being a fleeting interlude.
One month ago, Israelis and Palestinians felt that rarest of things: optimism. After months of stalled talks, there was finally a ceasefire in Gaza. There seemed to be a real path towards the end of the war. But the situation has changed drastically since then. The 42-day truce between Israel and Hamas is set to expire this weekend unless an agreement is struck to extend it. The two sides were meant to begin talks on a permanent end to the war in early February; three weeks later, they still haven’t started. Since the deal was struck, there’s been a vibe shift in Israel. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is buoyed by the return of US President Donald Trump and under pressure from far-right members of his own cabinet to return to war. The Gaza ceasefire looks increasingly like it may end up being a fleeting interlude. “We are ready to return to intense combat at any moment,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told graduating military officers on Sunday. “The operational plans are ready.”
Israel said Sunday it has stopped the entry of all humanitarian aid into Gaza after phase one of its ceasefire deal with Hamas expired, citing the militant group’s refusal of a US-backed extension.
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Fatima Tawfeeq, 63, has lived through numerous Israeli military operations in the occupied West Bank. She witnessed Israel’s takeover of the Palestinian territory in 1967 and lived through Israel’s crackdown during the first and second intifadas, the fierce Palestinian uprisings against Israeli control.