Decisive moment | SAIGON GIAI PHONG NEWSPAPER

Israeli army chief of staff Herzi Halevi has approved a ground offensive against the southern Gaza city of Rafah, as international mediators continue to press for a ceasefire.

Rescuers search for victims in the rubble after an Israeli airstrike on the city of Rafah, southern Gaza Strip. Photo: THX

Let's find a deal

The Jerusalem Post reported that the plan for a ground offensive in Rafah was approved during a meeting between Halevi and Southern Command Commander Yaron Finkelman and other Israeli division and brigade commanders.

The move comes as international mediators are trying to help Israel and Hamas reach a ceasefire agreement. An Egyptian delegation arrived in Israel on April 26 to discuss a proposed ceasefire and hostage exchange between the country and Hamas. At the same time, CNN quoted a US official as saying that Tel Aviv had agreed to listen to Washington's opinions before launching a ground operation against Rafah. White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said that during his trip to the Middle East, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken will continue to push for efforts to reach a ceasefire agreement lasting at least 6 days in the Gaza Strip. Mr. Blinken arrived in Saudi Arabia on April 29 and is expected to visit Israel this week. Mr. John Kirby also revealed that Israel has begun to meet the commitments it made to US President Joe Biden and the number of aid trucks entering the northern Gaza Strip is increasing.

For his part, Sami Abu Zuhri, a senior official of the Hamas Islamic Movement, said that the group would not accept any agreement with Israel that did not include a halt to its military campaign in the Gaza Strip. Speaking to reporters, Sami Abu Zuhri added that Hamas was studying Israel's official response to the latest ceasefire proposal in talks brokered by Egypt and Qatar, but stressed that it was too early to make a decision on the matter. Earlier in the day, Israeli public radio reported that a senior Israeli official described it as "a decisive moment in efforts to reach a new hostage exchange agreement with Hamas." According to the official, Israel is awaiting a response from Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar.

Increased aid

On April 29, speaking on ABC News, Mr. John Kirby said it would take 2-3 weeks for the pier deployed by the US to become operational to increase aid to Gaza. Mr. John Kirby emphasized that although this pier will help transport more food and other necessities into Gaza, it still cannot replace land routes.

Following Israel's mistaken attack on a convoy of foreign aid workers from the World Central Kitchen (WCK) in Gaza that killed several people, US President Joe Biden has asked Israel to allow more aid and avoid causing casualties to Palestinian civilians. According to spokesman John Kirby, Israel is now allowing more trucks to enter, including northern Gaza. On the same day, WCK announced the resumption of relief work in the Gaza Strip after a nearly month-long pause. So far, WCK has distributed more than 43 million meals to people in the area. The organization is building a third high-capacity kitchen in the town of Al-Mawasi, south of Gaza, along with two others in Rafah and Deir al-Balah.

At the opening session of the special meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) held on April 29 in the capital Riyadh of Saudi Arabia, delegates emphasized the need to promote the implementation of the two-state solution, considering this the only way to end the conflict in the Gaza Strip.

Speaking at the meeting, Prince Faisal bin Farhan, Saudi Arabia's foreign minister, said that only a genuine commitment to a two-state solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict can prevent a recurrence of the conflict in Gaza. The Saudi foreign minister said that support for the implementation of this solution depends on the international community, especially the most influential countries and the United Nations Security Council. Mr. Faisal said that Saudi Arabia will do everything possible to promote the two-state solution, expressing hope that the international community will do the right thing and make this concept a reality.

VIET ANH synthesis

Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/thoi-diem-quyet-dinh-post737743.html