Diplomacy Chasing a Rush toward Catastrophe in Gaza

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Diplomatic efforts are chasing a burning fuse in Gaza that is about to spiral out of control, warning of a worsening already deteriorating situation that could lead to a humanitarian disaster.

While Gaza’s Civil Defense announced at least 44 people were killed on Sunday in Israeli strikes in response to around ten projectiles fired from the Gaza Strip at Ashkelon, the region is awaiting a French-Egyptian-Jordanian summit focused on the situation in the sector.

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This anticipated summit follows the confirmation by Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and UAE Foreign Minister, that prioritizing efforts for a ceasefire in Gaza, the release of hostages, and preventing the escalation of conflict in the region was essential.

This statement came during his meeting with Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar in Abu Dhabi, where they discussed the overall developments in the region, particularly the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

The UAE Foreign Minister emphasized the UAE’s support for all diplomatic efforts aimed at protecting civilians and enhancing responses to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

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He also reiterated the urgent need for a serious political horizon to relaunch negotiations for a comprehensive peace based on the two-state solution and the necessity of working toward ending extremism, rising tensions, and violence in the region. The international community must also unite to fulfill its people’s aspirations for security, stability, and dignified lives.

The UAE Foreign Minister pointed out that the dire situation facing civilians in Gaza requires every effort to ensure the safe, sustainable, and unhindered flow of urgent humanitarian aid.

He stressed the UAE’s historical brotherly stance toward the Palestinian people, reaffirming the UAE’s unwavering commitment to supporting the Palestinian people and their right to self-determination, and its determination to continue providing humanitarian aid to meet their needs.

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Tripartite Summit

On Sunday, French President Emmanuel Macron arrived in Cairo for an official visit focused on ending the war in Gaza.

The Egyptian and French Presidents will hold official talks on Monday morning before being joined by King Abdullah II of Jordan for a tripartite summit to discuss developments in Gaza.

The Élysée Palace had stated in a statement that the 48-hour visit would discuss the Gaza war “in depth,” noting that “Egypt and Jordan are key partners in resolving the conflict.”

Egypt and Jordan stand opposed to a U.S. plan to displace Gaza’s residents, which was proposed by former U.S. President Donald Trump.

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Trump had repeatedly expressed his desire for Cairo and Amman to host hundreds of thousands of Palestinians from Gaza, to allow U.S. control over the area in order to build a tourist project he referred to as a “Riviera on the Mediterranean coast.”

Cairo proposed a competing plan for Gaza’s reconstruction without displacing its residents, a plan that was adopted by the Arab League.

Egypt has continued mediation efforts and proposed plans to restore a ceasefire before the situation reaches a catastrophic level.

Since Israel resumed its military operations in Gaza on March 18, following a two-month ceasefire with Hamas that had brought relative calm to the region, dozens of Palestinians have been killed almost daily.

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Ongoing Airstrikes

Gaza’s Civil Defense spokesman Mahmoud Bassal told AFP, “At least 44 martyrs in Gaza due to continuous Israeli airstrikes, including 21 in Khan Yunis in the southern part of the Strip.”

Bassal reported six fatalities from an airstrike on Al-Nakheel Street in the Al-Tuffah neighborhood of Gaza City, where a group of people had gathered near a bakery.

Among the dead, three were children.

Hamas condemned, in a statement, the “deliberate killing and targeting of children,” considering it a confirmation of the “sadistic brutality of the occupation.”

Footage from AFP on Sunday showed thick columns of smoke rising from central and northern Gaza, as Israeli forces shelled vast areas of the besieged Palestinian territory.

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On March 18, Israel resumed intense bombardment of Gaza following disagreements over negotiations for the second phase of a ceasefire agreement that came into effect on January 19, after a devastating 15-month war in the area.

All efforts to revive the ceasefire, brokered by Qatar, Egypt, and the U.S., have thus far failed.

On Sunday, an airstrike hit the Abu Issa family’s house in Deir al-Balah, killing women and children, according to eyewitnesses.

Mohammed al-Azayza, a resident of the area, said, “There were no wanted people in the house, even the men were at the mosque.”

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He added, “They were all civilians, all children, women, and girls. A missile destroyed the whole house. It felt like a nuclear bomb hit us.”

Footage from AFP showed an airstrike on Saturday night in Gaza City that caused massive destruction at a hospital site, with bodies wrapped in shrouds.

Um Haitham Al-Slahi, crying over a relative killed at Al-Ahli Hospital, said, “We heard the explosion and rushed to check on the children.”

The footage showed a man crying, holding the body of a relative, while dozens gathered for the funeral before burying the victims.

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Mohammad Rahma, whose relative was killed in the bombing, said, “They targeted defenseless civilians while they were asleep.”

Some of the wounded, including children, received treatment in the hospital corridor, while relatives gathered nearby.

Footage from the home showed collapsed concrete blocks, twisted metal bars, and children searching through the rubble for any items to recover.

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Hamas Responds

Meanwhile, the Israeli army announced it detected the launch of around ten projectiles from Gaza toward Israeli territories on Sunday night, stating that most of them were intercepted.

Later, the army announced that it had bombed a platform in Gaza from which the rockets had been launched.

The army stressed in its statement that it “will continue to work to remove any threat to Israeli civilians.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered a “strong response” after the rocket fire, according to his office.

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The Israeli army had detected ten rockets launched from Gaza toward Israel in the last two weeks.

Israeli police said their forces had deployed in Ashkelon, where debris had fallen as a result of the interception operation, and paramedics reported an injured man.

A police statement said, “Bomb disposal experts from the southern region and personnel from Ashkelon police station are working to scan the area for additional debris, in order to eliminate any potential danger to the public.”

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Since the resumption of fighting, the Ministry of Health has announced that 1,330 people have been killed in Israeli attacks.

The war erupted following an unprecedented attack by Hamas on southern Israel on October 7, 2023.

The Gaza Ministry of Health announced that the total death toll in the Strip since the war broke out had risen to 50,695 people.

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American Teen Killed

Meanwhile, a Palestinian official told AFP that Israeli forces shot dead a U.S. citizen in the occupied West Bank on Sunday, while the Israeli army claimed it killed an “attacker” who had been throwing stones at vehicles.

The mayor of Turmus Ayya, Adeb Lafi Shalabi, said the 14-year-old boy, Omar Mohammed Saada Rabi, “was an American citizen.”

In a statement, the Israeli army said that during an “anti-terrorism operation” in Turmus Ayya, “soldiers identified three assailants throwing stones at the highway, posing a danger to civilian drivers.”

The statement continued: “The soldiers opened fire at the assailants who were endangering civilians, killing one of them and injuring the others.”

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