Tag: Israel Palestine conflict

An ultimatum raises pressure on Netanyahu to make postwar plans for Gaza, even as fighting rages

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is under mounting pressure from his own War Cabinet and his country’s closest ally over postwar plans for Gaza, even as the war with Hamas shows no sign of ending.

On Saturday, Benny Gantz, a member of the War Cabinet and Netanyahu’s main political rival, said he would leave the government on June 8 if it did not formulate a new war plan including an international, Arab and Palestinian administration to handle civilian affairs in Gaza.

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, the third member of the Cabinet, has also called for a plan for Palestinian administration and said in a speech this week that he wouldn’t agree to Israel governing Gaza itself.

The United States has meanwhile called for a revitalized Palestinian Authority to govern Gaza with assistance from Saudi Arabia and other Arab states ahead of eventual statehood. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan is expected to push those plans when he visits Israel on Sunday.

So far, Netanyahu has brushed them all off. But Gantz’s ultimatum could reduce his margin for maneuver.

Netanyahu has ruled out any role for the Palestinian Authority in Gaza, saying he plans to hand civil responsibilities over to local Palestinians unaffiliated with it or Hamas. But he has also said that it’s impossible to make any such plans until Hamas is defeated because it has threatened anyone who cooperates with Israel.

Netanyahu’s government is also deeply opposed to Palestinian statehood.

In a statement issued after the ultimatum, Netanyahu said Gantz’s conditions would amount to ”defeat for Israel, abandoning most of the hostages, leaving Hamas intact and establishing a Palestinian state.”

Netanyahu added, however, that he still thought the emergency government was important for prosecuting the war, and that he “expects Gantz to clarify his positions to the public.”

Gantz’ departure would leave Netanyahu even more beholden to his far-right coalition allies, including National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who could more easily bring down the government if he doesn’t meet their demands.

They have called for Israel to reoccupy Gaza, encourage the “voluntary emigration” of Palestinians from the territory and reestablish Jewish settlements that were removed in 2005.

Critics of Netanyahu, including thousands who have joined weekly protests in recent months, accuse him of prolonging the war for his own political survival. Gantz, who brought his centrist party into the government days after the Oct. 7 attack that triggered the war, warned Netanyahu not to “choose the path of fanatics and lead the entire nation to the abyss.”

Netanyahu denies such accusations, saying he is focused on defeating Hamas and that elections would distract from the war effort.

Polls indicate Netanyahu would be driven from office if new elections were held, with Gantz most likely to replace him. That would probably mark the end of Netanyahu’s long political career and expose him to prosecution over longstanding corruption charges.

Israeli media have reported growing discontent within the country’s security establishment over the course of the war, with officials warning that the lack of any such planning was turning tactical victories into strategic defeat.

With no one else to govern Gaza, Hamas has repeatedly regrouped, even in the hardest-hit areas that Israel previously said it had cleared. Heavy fighting has erupted in recent days in the built-up Jabaliya refugee camp in the north and the Zeitoun neighbourhood on the outskirts of Gaza City.

Israeli troops are meanwhile pushing into parts of the southern city of Rafah in what they say is a limited operation. The fighting there has displaced some 800,000 people, many whom had already fled from other areas, and severely hindered the delivery of humanitarian aid.

Indirect talks mediated by the United States, Qatar and Egypt aimed at a cease-fire and the release of scores of hostages held by Hamas meanwhile appear at a standstill, with many of the hostages’ families and their supporters blaming the Israeli government.

“Something has gone wrong,” Gantz said in his address. “Essential decisions were not taken. Acts of leadership required to ensure victory were not carried out. A small minority has taken over the command bridge of the Israeli ship and is leading it toward a wall of rocks.”

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Israeli defence chief challenges Benjamin Netanyahu over post-war Gaza plans

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was publicly challenged about post-war plans for the Gaza Strip on Wednesday by his own defence chief, who vowed to oppose any long-term military rule by Israel over the ravaged Palestinian enclave.

The televised statement by Defence Minister Yoav Gallant marked the most vocal dissent from within Israel’s top echelon against Netanyahu during a seven-month-old and multi-front conflict that has set off political fissures at home and abroad.

Netanyahu hinted, in a riposte which did not explicitly name Gallant, that the retired admiral was making “excuses” for not yet having destroyed Hamas in a conflict now in its eight month.

But the veteran conservative premier soon appeared to be outflanked within his own war cabinet: Centrist ex-general Benny Gantz, the only voting member of the forum other than Netanyahu and Gallant, said the defence minister had “spoke(n) the truth”.

While reiterating the Netanyahu government’s goals of defeating Hamas and recovering remaining hostages from the October 7 cross-border rampage by the Islamist faction, Gallant said these must be complemented by laying the groundwork for alternative Palestinian rule.

“We must dismantle Hamas’ governing capabilities in Gaza. The key to this goal is military action, and the establishment of a governing alternative in Gaza,” Gallant said.

“In the absence of such an alternative, only two negative options remain: Hamas’ rule in Gaza or Israeli military rule in Gaza,” he added, saying he would oppose the latter scenario and urging Netanyahu to formally forswear it.

Gallant said that, since October, he had tried to promote a plan to set up a “non-hostile Palestinian governing alternative” to Hamas – but got no response from the Israeli cabinet.

The format of his broadside, a pre-announced news conference carried live by Israeli TV and radio, recalled Gallant’s bombshell warning in March 2023 that foment over a judicial overhaul pursued by Netanyahu was threatening military cohesion.

At the time, Netanyahu announced that Gallant would be fired – but backed down amid a deluge of street demonstrations. Some defence analysts believe Gallant’s prediction was borne out by Hamas’ ability to blindside Israeli forces a few months later.

Asked on Wednesday whether he was worried he may again face being ousted, Gallant said: “I’m not blaming anyone. In a democratic country, I believe, it’s appropriate for a person, especially the defence minister who holds a position, to make it public.”

Gallant’s Gaza criticism recalled that of Israel’s chief ally, the United States, which has sought to parlay the war into a role for the internationally backed Palestinian Authority (PA), which wields limited governance in the occupied West Bank.

Netanyahu has refused this, describing the PA as a hostile entity – and repeated this position in a video statement he issued on social media within an hour of Gallant’s remarks.

Any move to create an alternative Gaza government requires that Hamas first be eliminated, Netanyahu said, finishing with the demand that this objective be pursued “without excuses”.

Netanyahu’s ruling coalition includes ultra-nationalist partners who want the PA dismantled and new Jewish settlements in the Gaza Strip. Those partners have at times sparred with Gallant, a member of Netanyahu’s Likud party, over policy.

Netanyahu has said Israel would retain overall security control over Gaza after the war for the foreseeable future. He has stopped short of describing this scenario as an occupation – a status Washington does not want to see emerge – and has signalled opposition to Israelis settling the territory.

Over the last week, Israeli ground forces have returned to some areas of northern Gaza that they overran and quit in the first half of the war. Israel describes the new missions as planned crackdowns on efforts by Hamas holdouts to regroup, while Palestinians see evidence of the tenacity of the gunmen.

Briefing reporters on Tuesday, chief military spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari was asked whether the absence of a post-Hamas strategy for Gaza was complicating operations.

“There is no doubt that an alternative to Hamas would generate pressure on Hamas, but that’s a question for the government echelon,” he responded.

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KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Palestinian Ambassador urges India’s aid amid Israel’s operation in Rafah

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Israel is now pushing ahead with its operation into the Palestinian city of Rafah. The Palestinian envoy to India has sought India’s help in providing life-saving medicines, adding that Palestine is running out of essential drugs and called for India’s help.

Palestinian Ambassador Adnan Abu Al-Haija has urged India to send critical medicines for cancer treatment and treating the wounded in Gaza as the war in the strip enters its seventh month.

Hija said, “India has never said no to anything we ask for. Lots of projects has been financed by India still going on in Palestine and they are ready if we ask them. Yesterday they told me before that they will send medicine and other aid to Rafah.”

Also Read: Joe Biden warns he will hold back more weapons if Israel invades Rafah

Speaking to CNBC-TV18, Ambassador Adnan Abu Al-Hija also talked about the immediate impact of Israel’s operation into Rafah on the people of Palestine.

Patients and staff are being forced out of hospitals across the area as the attacks are intensifying, leaving many sick and wounded Palestinians without any treatment.

Heavy fighting between Israeli troops and Palestinian militants on the outskirts of the southern Gaza city of Rafah has left crucial nearby aid crossings inaccessible and driven more than 1,10,000 people to flee north.
With nothing entering through the crossings, food and other supplies were running critically low.

The World Food Program will run out of food for distribution in southern Gaza by Saturday, said Georgios Petropoulos, an official with the UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Rafah. Aid groups have said fuel will also be depleted soon, forcing hospitals to shut down critical operations and bringing to a halt trucks delivering aid across south and central Gaza.

Also Read: Israel orders Al Jazeera to close its local operation and seizes some equipment from channel

The UN and other agencies have warned for weeks that an Israel assault on Rafah, on the border with Egypt near the main aid entry points, would cripple humanitarian operations and cause a disastrous surge in civilian casualties. More than 1.4 million Palestinians half of Gaza’s population have been sheltering in Rafah, most after fleeing Israel’s offensives elsewhere.

With inputs from PTI

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KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Global Eye: Biden-Netanyahu ties in focus after Israel ignores US warnings on Rafah

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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The US-Israel ties are under focus after Tel Aviv ignored US warning about Rafah. A panel of experts on CNBC-TV18’s Global Eye hosted by Parikshit Luthra discusses key issues related to the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, the latest stance from the United States, and the wider humanitarian crisis.

Nimrod Goren, President & Founder of Mitvim, and Co-Founder of Diplomeds suggests that the American support for Israel is strong and the latest frustration on the part of the Biden administration is more with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

“It’s more of an issue between Biden and Netanyahu. American support for Israel is strong, has been strong since October 7. But the American administration is very frustrated from the conduct of Prime Minister Netanyahu on multiple issues. It began with the humanitarian issue in Gaza, with the American plans for the day after the war that Netanyahu does not share on issues related to Rafah.”

Goren also pointed out the American desire for a temporary halt in weapon deliveries between Israel and Hamas, despite unsuccessful attempts at brokering such a pause over nearly four months.

Anju Gupta, a Security Analyst & Former DGP pointed at the humanitarian crisis with no end to the fighting visible.

“The war has expanded across the region to the northern part of Israel, to the Red Sea and also targeting of US bases and troops we have seen across Syria, Iraq and Jordan, which have halted in the month of February with some kind of an understanding between the US and Iran. So what we have seen so far is that there is no end to fighting.”

She stated it remains uncertain how long it will take or what efforts will be necessary to effectively address the significant humanitarian crisis resulting from the ongoing expansion of the conflict across the region and the persistent threat posed by Hamas.

President Joe Biden has made it clear that the US would pause the supply of certain weapons to Israel if the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) carry out a large-scale invasion of Rafah. This decision reflects concerns about the potential use of these weapons in densely populated areas and the resulting civilian casualties.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has responded to the US warning by vowing to continue the fight alone if necessary. The situation remains tense, with political leaders clashing over decisions that could affect regional stability.

Meanwhile, Israeli and Hamas delegations have left Cairo after inconclusive peace talks. Reports have said Israel has expressed its reservations about the proposed captive release deal and has deemed this round of negotiations over.

Read Here | Israel attacks eastern parts of Rafah, Benjamin Netanyahu vows will fight alone even without help from US

Hamas has rejected the proposal and raised objections on multiple central issues. Hamas added that the ball is now completely in Israel’s court.

Watch the video for full discussion

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Police clear Pro-Palestinian tent encampment at George Washington University, dozens arrested

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Police began to clear a Pro-Palestinian tent encampment at George Washington University in Washington, D.C., early Wednesday, hours after dozens of protesters left the site and marched to President Ellen Granberg’s home. Officers gave their third and final warning to demonstrators to move at about 3:30 a.m., saying all who remained in U-Yard and the stretch of H Street in front of the plaza would be arrested, according to GW Hatchet, the university’s independent student-run newspaper.

University officials had warned in statements of possible suspensions for students engaging in protest activities on University Yard. While the university is committed to protecting students’ rights to free expression, the encampment had evolved into an unlawful activity, with participants in direct violation of multiple university policies and city regulations, the university said in a statement.

Local media had reported that some protesters were pepper sprayed as police stopped them from entering the encampment and nearly 30 people had been arrested, according to community organisers. Tuesday evening, protesters carrying signs that read, Free Palestine and Hands off Rafah, marched to Granberg’s home. Police were called to maintain the crowd. No arrests were made.

This comes as Mayor Muriel Bowser and MPD Chief Pamela Smith are set to testify about the District’s handling of the protest at a House Committee on Oversight and Accountability hearing on Wednesday afternoon. A pro-Palestinian tent encampment was cleared at the University of Chicago on Tuesday after administrators who had initially adopted a permissive approach said the protest had crossed a line and caused growing concerns about safety.

University President Paul Alivisatos acknowledged the school’s role as a protector of freedom of speech after officers in riot gear blocked access to the school’s Quad but also took an enough-is-enough stance. The university remains a place where dissenting voices have many avenues to express themselves, but we cannot enable an environment where the expression of some dominates and disrupts the healthy functioning of the community for the rest, Alivisatos wrote in a message to the university community. Tensions have continued to ratchet up in standoffs with protesters on campuses across the U.S. and increasingly, in Europe nearly three weeks into a movement launched by a protest at Columbia University. Some colleges cracked down immediately on protests against the Israel-Hamas war. Among those that have tolerated the tent encampments, some have begun to lose patience and call in police over concerns about disruptions to campus life, safety and the involvement of nonstudents.

Since April 18, just over 2,600 people have been arrested on 50 campuses, figures based on AP reporting and statements from universities and law enforcement agencies. But not all schools are taking that approach, with some letting protesters hold rallies and organize their encampments as they see fit. The president of Wesleyan University, a liberal arts school in Connecticut, has commended the on-campus demonstration which includes a pro-Palestinian tent encampment as an act of political expression. The camp there has grown from about 20 tents a week ago to more than 100.

The protesters’ cause is important bringing attention to the killing of innocent people, university President Michael Roth wrote to the campus community Thursday. And we continue to make space for them to do so, as long as that space is not disruptive to campus operations. The Rhode Island School of Design, where students started occupying a building Monday, affirms students’ rights to freedom of speech and peaceful assembly and supports all members of the community, a spokesperson said. The school said President Crystal Williams spent more than five hours with the protesters that evening discussing their demands. On Tuesday the school announced it was relocating classes that were scheduled to take place in the building. It was covered with posters reading Free Palestine and Let Gaza Live, and dove was drawn in colored chalk on the sidewalk.

Campuses have tried tactics from appeasement to threats of disciplinary action to resolve the protests and clear the way for commencements. At the University of Chicago, hundreds of protesters gathered for at least eight days until administrators warned them Friday to leave or face removal. On Tuesday, law enforcement dismantled the encampment.

Officers later picked up a barricade erected to keep protesters out of the Quad and moved it toward the demonstrators, some of whom chanted, Up, up with liberation. Down, down with occupation! Police and protesters pushed back and forth along the barricade as the officers moved to reestablish control.

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US paused weapons shipment to Israel over Rafah invasion concern

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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The US paused a shipment of bombs to Israel over worries about Israel nearing a decision to launch a wide-ranging military offensive on the southern Gaza city of Rafah, which President Joe Biden opposes, according to a senior administration official.

The delivery was supposed to contain 3,500 bombs, split roughly evenly between 2,000-pound (907-kilogram) and 500-pound explosives, the official, who was granted anonymity to discuss a sensitive matter, said.

The official added the administration is worried about the damage the larger bombs could inflict on dense urban settings like Rafah, where more than 1 million displaced Palestinians are sheltering. The US has not made a final decision about how to proceed with the shipment, according to the official.

The decision, reported earlier by the Associated Press, marks one of the most prominent instances of discord between the US and Israel since Hamas’s Oct. 7 assault that killed 1,200 people and saw roughly 250 more taken hostage by the group, designated a terrorist organization by the US and European Union. The US has long been Israel’s largest and most reliable military backer, but Biden has called on the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to do more to protect civilians in Gaza.

Biden told Netanyahu last month, following the killing of aid workers in an Israeli strike, that ongoing US support for the war would depend on new steps to protect civilians.

The US president in April signed a foreign aid package that contained fresh assistance for Israel, but the paused bomb shipment was not connected to those funds, according to the administration official. Arms transfers that are under review were drawn from previously appropriated money and the administration is committed to ensuring Israel gets every dollar of the new national security aid, the official said.

The Biden administration in April began reviewing future transfers of certain armaments as Israeli leaders seemed to close in on a decision to launch a full-scale invasion of Rafah, despite repeated warnings from the US. Discussions between American and Israeli officials over Rafah plans are continuing and have yet to fully address the administration’s concerns, the official said.

“Two things can be true at once,” White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said earlier Tuesday, without addressing the weapons-transfer pause. “Israel has a right and a responsibility to defend itself, and we’re going to continue to provide for their security and help them with that. And at the same time, they have a right and obligation to be careful about civilian casualties and getting more humanitarian assistance in.”

Israel’s military moved to take control of the Rafah border crossing into Egypt and ordered some civilians to leave the city so that an attack can get underway. That came after Hamas said it accepted a cease-fire proposal, but Israel rejected it, saying it fell far short of meeting their demands.

While the White House has repeatedly expressed opposition to a Rafah incursion, officials have not indicated publicly that Israel’s current operations in the area have violated Biden’s warnings against a full-scale invasion of the city. White House spokesman John Kirby earlier Tuesday described the existing operation as “limited” and intended to cut off Hamas’s ability to smuggle weapons and money into Gaza.

Israel says reopening Kerem Shalom aid crossing into Gaza

Israel was reopening Kerem Shalom crossing on its border with the Gaza Strip on Wednesday, a statement from the Israeli agency in charge of it said, adding that aid trucks routed through from Egypt were already undergoing security inspections there.

Israel had closed Kerem Shalom crossing on Sunday after a Palestinian shelling attack nearby killed four soldiers.Israel was reopening Kerem Shalom crossing on its border with the Gaza Strip on Wednesday, a statement from the Israeli agency in charge of it said, adding that aid trucks routed through from Egypt were already undergoing security inspections there.

Israel had closed Kerem Shalom crossing on Sunday after a Palestinian shelling attack nearby killed four soldiers.

With inputs from Reuters

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KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Israel-Hamas war: Former ambassador warns of imminent humanitarian catastrophe in Rafah

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Israel has confirmed that it has taken control of the Palestinian side of the crossing between Gaza and Egypt. This is the only Gaza border crossing that was not controlled by Israel and has served as the entry point for much of the limited humanitarian aid that has entered Gaza.

Egypt has condemned Israel’s move, calling it a “dangerous escalation.” The country’s military also called on the Israeli side to “stay away” from policies that would threaten a potential truce.

Meanwhile, truce talks are to resume in Cairo after Israel said the terms that Hamas had agreed to were unacceptable. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected it as “far from Israel’s basic requirements.”

Discussing Israel’s recent operations in Rafah and its seizure of the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing, Anil Trigunayat, a former ambassador, highlighted significant implications. He emphasised that such actions would exacerbate the already dire humanitarian situation for the approximately 1.4 million people in Rafah.

“Almost 1.4 million people are there in Rafah at the moment, who have been just pushed around that. So they will be suffering a great deal and as has been feared by everyone, including the United States, which have tried to dissuade Netanyahu from going further ahead into Rafah.”

Read Here | Israel says a ceasefire plan backed by Hamas falls far short

Trigunayat also pointed out the potential strain on the Egypt-Israel peace treaty since 1979, as Egypt has historically limited Palestinian refugees’ entry to avoid the escalation of conflict with Israel.

“Egypt has not allowed a lot of Palestinian refugees to come into its side. Because if any attack they did against Israel, Israel will counter attack and then there will be a possibility of a bigger war between Israel and Egypt, which is what they have been trying to avoid, but it looks like that this is very imminent now,” he said.

Despite frantic efforts by the US, Egypt, and Qatar to negotiate terms, tensions remain high. Trigunayat expressed doubts in relation to Israel’s objectives in Rafah, noting the risk of a disastrous outcome.

Trigunayat added, “If you remember that Netanyahu has said that deal or no deal, we will go into Rafah. Now, because their main objective is somehow they feel that battalions of the Hamas leadership are there and they expect that there are probably remaining hostages in Rafah. They just want to secure them, and I doubt very much that they will be successful in it. But at the same time, there is going to be a disastrous consequence of this.”

He warned of a continued humanitarian catastrophe due to the disruption of aid routes, particularly through Rafah. Additionally, he questioned whether the US has sufficient leverage to influence Israel’s actions.

Watch this video for more

Also Read | India eases advisory for Indians travelling to Iran, Israel as conflict in West Asia de-escalates

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KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Pro-Palestine faculty at Chicago University prevent police action on student protestors

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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A tense weekend ended at the University of Chicago after pro-Palestine faculty intervened and averted an expected police action on protesting students.

A group of over 120 University of Chicago Faculty members held a press conference on Monday morning at the university’s main quad to express their support to students protesting at the quad against Israeli attacks on Gaza, and to criticize the University management’s alleged threat of police action against the protestors.

Responding to a press release by the faculty group, the University issued a response saying “it had not sent any communication regarding a midnight deadline for the (Gaza solidarity) encampment to end”.

The protesting faculty however claimed the university management had verbally told the students that the police would move in if the students didn’t end their encampment of the university quad by midnight on Sunday.

Indeed, the weekend of May 4-5 the campus was abuzz with rumors that the police would move in. These fears gained ground, especially after a Friday email to all students from the president of the University, Paul Alivisatos ended as follows: “On Monday, I stated that we would only intervene if what might have been an exercise of free expression blocks the learning or expression of others or substantially disrupts the functioning or safety of the University. Without an agreement to end the encampment, we have reached that point.”

The faculty group called UChicago Faculty For Justice In Palestine (FJP), along with the students have been asking the University to sever all connections with Israel and to withdraw the university’s monies from funds like Vanguard and Pimco, that have exposure to weapons manufacturers like Northrop Grumman, Raytheon, Boeing and Lockheed-Martin, whose weapons, the FJP claims, are being used in Gaza.

The FJP and the students are also demanding that the Chicago Quantum Exchange, a body which facilitates collaborative research into quantum computing along with Israeli institutions like the Weizmann Institute and the Technion, end such collaborations. The pro-Palestine faculty and student groups are also demanding that faculty invited from Israel to teach certain courses, should be stopped from teaching henceforth.

Pro-Palestine students have been occupying the university’s main quad area since April 29 in a largely peaceful demonstration of solidarity. The only concerning incident was on Friday afternoon when pro-Israeli students confronted the pro-Palestine supporters in the quad area, but no violence was reported.

The pro-Palestine group occupying the quad, importantly have even a group of Jewish supporters.

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Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Israel says a ceasefire plan backed by Hamas falls far short

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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The Palestinian militant group Hamas said it had agreed to a ceasefire proposal for the Gaza Strip, but Israel’s war cabinet unanimously rejected it as “far from Israel’s necessary demands,” dashing hopes for an immediate pause in the fighting.

Israel vowed to continue “its operation in Rafah to exert military pressure on Hamas” but also said it will send a delegation to meet with mediators “to exhaust the possibility of reaching an agreement.” In a statement later Monday, the Israel Defense Forces announced fresh airstrikes against Hamas targets in the Rafah area.

The Israeli response followed hours after Hamas had posted a statement to Telegram saying that Ismail Haniyeh, the head of the Hamas political office, had accepted a Qatari and Egyptian cease-fire proposal. Questions were raised almost immediately about the details, with both US and Israeli officials saying they were studying the Hamas response.

Benny Gantz, a centrist who joined the war cabinet, said in a post on Telegram that the proposal offered by Hamas “does not correspond to the dialogue that has taken place so far with the mediators and has significant gaps.” He said an Israeli delegation nonetheless will meet with negotiators in Cairo.

Hamas and Israel have been negotiating via Qatar, Egypt and the US on an agreement that would see the release of Israeli hostages held in Gaza in exchange for Palestinians detained in Israeli jails. It would also include a pause in fighting.

Israeli cabinet minister Itamar Ben Gvir was the first Israeli official to address the Hamas response to the cease-fire proposal, saying it was no more than a trick. “Hamas’ shenanigans have only one answer: an immediate order to occupy Rafah! Increasing military pressure, crushing Hamas, and proceeding to its ultimate defeat,” Ben Gvir said in a post on X.

Tensions Increased

Those talks had stalled over the weekend over the Iran-backed militant group’s insistence that any truce be permanent, leading to the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza. Israel has said it must eliminate Hamas before ending the war.

Tensions also increased after Hamas killed four Israeli soldiers with a rocket barrage on Sunday on the border crossing of Kerem Shalom, one of its worst missile attacks in weeks. Israel has insisted on a phased approach to any cease-fire, saying Hamas must first commit to the release of about three dozen hostages in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.

“I want it to succeed, but the cold, sort of cool analyst in me says the fundamental divide between the two combatants — Israel and Hamas — make it more likely that we’ll see many more weeks, if not months, of violence than we’ll see some sort of off-ramp to a diplomatic settlement,” said Brian Katulis, a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute who previously worked at the US National Security Council.

At the same time, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has insisted that Israel will go ahead with its invasion of Rafah, in Gaza’s south, where Israeli forces say Hamas still holds sway. Earlier Monday, Israel told some civilians to move out of parts of Rafah, a possible prelude to a long-expected attack on the city where more than a million Palestinians have sought shelter from the war.

The Israel Defense Forces “will act with extreme force against terrorist organizations in your areas of residence,” a spokesman said on X on Monday morning. He urged residents of eastern Rafah to go north to an “expanded humanitarian area” near Khan Younis, another city in Gaza.

Large numbers of people started leaving Rafah in cars, on foot and on horse-drawn carriages. A spokesman for the Israeli military said its Air Force struck 50 targets in Rafah Monday.

President Joe Biden has called a Rafah invasion a “red line,” and he and other top US officials have repeatedly warned that Israel must not launch such an attack without protecting civilians. During a visit to Tel Aviv last week, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said “we’ve not seen such a plan.’

Biden and Netanyahu spoke on Monday. National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said Biden had again made clear the US view about “operations in Rafah that could potentially put more than a million innocent people at greater risk.”

If a cease-fire had been reached, it would have brought about a halt in fighting between Israel and Hamas for the first time since a similar accord in late November. The impasse could allow talks to begin regarding a permanent truce, while letting much-needed aid be delivered to Gaza’s war-ravaged population. Hamas is designated a terrorist organization by the US and European Union.

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Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow