By Janet Ekstract ISTANBUL- Biden administration officials already warned that Israel’s operation in Gaza to get rid of Hamas is not in line with the White House. Meanwhile, U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk commented on Thursday: “The IDF are reportedly destroying all buildings within the Gaza Strip that are within a kilometer of the Israel-Gaza fence, clearing the area with the objective of creating a ‘buffer zone.” Turk warned: “destructions carried out to create a ‘buffer zone’ for general security purposes do not appear consistent with the narrow ‘military operations’ set out in international humanitarian law.” U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres “I’m especially alarmed that the Israeli military intends to focus next on Rafah,” untold regional consequences” briefing the General Assembly at the UN on his goals for the year ahead. Such an action would exponentially increase what is already a humanitarian nightmare. As the UN special coordinator for the secretary-general in Jerusalem warned: “We know very well, the Israelis know even better, but still planning, that having a very active warfare in the area of Rafah, with more than 1.2 million people assembled – and Rafah and Kem Shalom being the entry point, at the moment, the only one actively for humanitarian supplies will be completely catastrophic.”Rafah is Gaza’s lifeline and many observers see Israel as opposing the International Court of Justice (ICJ) decision to facilitate aid into Gaza as well as the UN Security Council’s decision that passed two resolutions, stating Israel must bolster and facilitate humanitarian aid into Gaza.
Meanwhile, Nizar Sadawi on the ground in Gaza, reporting for TRT World International, said that a counter-proposal is in the works on a hostage deal and ceasefire with mediators taking charge of the wording of such a document. He reported that Israel and Hamas are being urged to come to an agreement in the shortest possible time to avoid a potential tragedy in Rafah. In a press conference, on Wednesday, U.S. President Joe Biden said negotiations are continuing but that the previous response from Hamas was a bit “over the top.” While Blinken said “Together with Qatar and Egypt, we put forward, as you know, a serious proposal, that was aimed at not simply repeating the previous agreement but expanding.” Blinken added: “We continue to believe that an agreement is possible and indeed essential. “On peace in the region, he remarked: “We are also determined to use any pause to continue to pave a diplomatic path forward to a just and lasting peace and security for the region. That is the best way, the best way to ensure that Oct 7 and the tragic loss of life by Israelis and Palestinians is not repeated.”
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