Gaza, Washington Post: “Hamas and Israel Agree on Interim Government”
The USA has expressed hope for a truce that Hezbollah believes will also lead to an end to fighting in Lebanon
Hamas and Israel are reportedly reaching an agreement on the second phase of a possible truce that would establish an “interim government” in Gaza that would eliminate control by both sides of the conflict. A principal agreement will already be in place, and the parties will be discussing the details.
This is reported by David Ignatius in the Washington Post, explaining that security must be “provided by a force trained by the United States and backed by moderate Arab allies, drawn from a core group of about 2,500 supporters of the Palestinian Authority in Gaza who have already been vetted by Israel.”
Meanwhile, the United States expressed cautious optimism about a possible truce agreement between Hamas and Israel that includes a ceasefire and the release of hostages still held by Hamas. “We are cautiously optimistic that things are moving in a good direction,” national security spokesman John Kirby explained to CNN. “There are still gaps remaining between the two sides. We believe those gaps can be narrowed.”
And when the guns in Gaza fall silent, conflicts in Lebanon will also end, as Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah explained, reporting to Al Jazeera: “If we reach a ceasefire in Gaza, our front will close without further discussion or negotiations. Hamas is negotiating on behalf of the entire resistance axis, so we will accept any position adopted by Hamas.”
Meanwhile, the situation in Gaza continues to become increasingly fragile: “The level of fighting and destruction we have seen in recent days is truly shocking,” commented Muhannad Hadi of the United Nations, while the Doctors Without Borders NGO made it clear that the last medical facility in the northern sector was also forced to close following the evacuation order issued by the Israeli army on July 8. “We don’t know what to eat and drink, where to go and where to sleep. We end up sleeping outside,” commented NGO operator Suhail Habib, according to Italian state television RaiNews.
