Hamas urges mediators to push for next steps under ceasefire
UN rights chief urges inclusion of Gaza, West Bank Palestinians in future governance
GAZA: Hamas called on mediators on Friday to push for the next steps under the ceasefire in Gaza, including reopening the border, letting in aid, beginning reconstruction, setting up an administration and completing Israel’s withdrawal.
Fighting has largely stopped in Gaza under U.S. President Donald Trump’s plan, endorsed by mediators Egypt, Qatar and Turkey. But further steps have been held up in part by Israeli accusations that the militants were too slow in handing over bodies of dead hostages.
Israel said it was preparing for the reopening of Gaza’s Rafah crossing with Egypt to allow Palestinians to move in and out, but gave no date as it traded blame with Hamas over violations of the ceasefire.
Hamas said it remained committed to the ceasefire agreement and to handing over the bodies of all remaining hostages, but that this process may take time.
Meanwhile, Volker Turk, the UN’s human rights chief, has stressed that “all hands on deck” are needed to ensure the Gaza ceasefire translates into a lasting peace.
“Human rights are fundamentally about human dignity. It is also about accountability for the egregious violations of human rights and international humanitarian law that have taken place over the past two years,” Turk said in a video shared on social media.
He added that all Palestinians across Gaza and the occupied West Bank must be included in any future governance decisions, and the Palestinian right to self-determination also must be respected.
The rescue service says Israel attacked a small bus carrying about 10 people with artillery shells, east of the Kuwait Roundabout on Salah al-Din Street in the Zeitoun area of southern Gaza City.
In a post on Telegram, the group said at least one boy was wounded and rescued from the area.
“The fate of the others is unknown due to the danger of the site. Coordination is under way with the relevant international bodies to reach the targeted location,” the Civil Defence said.
As a fragile ceasefire holds in the Gaza Strip, United Nations aid teams are intensifying efforts to deliver urgently needed assistance, according to the UN.
On Thursday, UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher made his way to Rafah on the southern Gaza border, from the Egyptian capital Cairo, describing the main Rafah crossing as a “vital lifeline for food, medicine, tents and other lifesaving aid.”
He said that the role of the “collective international community” was essential for aid delivery, adding that he was in very close touch with the White House “who are determined that we are allowed to deliver at scale.” The UN agency that supports Palestine refugees, UNRWA, reported that it has sufficient food supplies outside Gaza to sustain the population for three months, but said Israeli authorities are still blocking its entry despite the Israel-Hamas ceasefire. Monitoring Desk
