Sunday January 26, 2025
Mogadishu (HOL) — Tensions surrounding the Gaza ceasefire intensified on Sunday as Israeli forces reportedly shot and killed a Palestinian attempting to return home in the northern Gaza Strip. Hamas accused Israel of delaying the truce’s implementation, citing restrictions on displaced residents.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defended the measures, blaming Hamas for failing to release a female civilian hostage as stipulated in the agreement.
Former Israeli Knesset member Sami Abu Shahadeh accused Netanyahu of using the ceasefire to prolong his political tenure. “Netanyahu is running the state according to his personal interests, prioritizing survival over peace,” he said, warning that delays in implementing the agreement could destabilize the fragile truce.
The ceasefire, now in its second week, has seen a major prisoner exchange, with four Israeli soldiers swapped for 200 Palestinian detainees on Saturday.
The conflict, which began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas launched an unprecedented attack on Israel, continues to exact a devastating toll. According to Gaza’s health authorities, Israeli airstrikes have killed at least 47,283 Palestinians and wounded over 111,000. Hamas’s initial assault killed 1,139 Israelis and led to more than 200 hostages being taken.
While Gaza enjoys a temporary halt in hostilities, violence in the occupied West Bank has surged. Over the weekend, Israeli forces killed two Palestinians in Jenin, including a two-year-old girl, during a military raid. A Palestinian boy was shot and wounded in Hebron, and another man was arrested in Qusra, southeast of Nablus.
Xavier Abu Eid, a senior official with the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO), criticized Israel’s actions, stating, “These are not the actions of a government seeking peace. Israel has failed to uphold agreements with Palestinians since 1993.”
Adding to the uncertainty, the United States has resumed arms shipments to Israel, including 2,000-pound bombs that had been on hold due to concerns about civilian casualties. Speaking aboard Air Force One, President Donald Trump defended the decision, stating, “They paid for them, and they’ve been waiting for a long time.”
Trump also proposed relocating Palestinians from Gaza to neighbouring Arab countries, a suggestion that drew sharp criticism from Palestinian leaders who view it as an affront to their right to return.
As Egypt, Qatar, and the United States mediate the ceasefire, questions remain about its sustainability. Analysts warn that without addressing underlying issues, including the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and Israeli policies in the West Bank, lasting peace will remain out of reach.
