Diplomatic efforts to broker a ceasefire in Gaza ended without resolution on Tuesday, amid increasing appeals for Israel to reconsider its planned military offensive in Rafah, an area now home to over a million displaced individuals. The discussions, which saw the involvement of the U.S., Egypt, Israel, and Qatar, failed to yield a breakthrough, setting the stage for a potential escalation in the conflict that has already taken a severe toll on the region.
Rafah, with a pre-war population of around 300,000, has become a makeshift refuge for those fleeing Israeli bombardments in the northern parts of Gaza. The city is now packed with homeless residents living in tent camps and improvised shelters, with the United Nations’ top humanitarian official, Martin Griffiths, warning of dire consequences should an Israeli ground invasion proceed. “Military operations in Rafah could lead to a slaughter in Gaza,” Griffiths stated, highlighting the precarious situation facing humanitarian efforts in the enclave.
Displaced members of Palestinian Abu Mustafa family, who fled their house due to Israeli strikes, prepare food as they shelter at the border with Egypt, in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, February 10, 2024.
Israeli forces have already intensified their military actions around Rafah, shelling the eastern sector and causing widespread panic among the residents, many of whom have started to flee the area despite the lack of safe destinations within the war-torn territory. The blockade by Egypt on refugee exodus further complicates the evacuation dilemma.
The health ministry in Gaza reported a grim toll, with 133 Palestinian deaths in the last 24 hours, bringing the total casualties to 28,473 killed and 68,146 wounded since the onset of hostilities on October 7. The war, triggered by a Hamas incursion into Israel, has left vast swathes of Gaza in ruins, exacerbating the humanitarian crisis with dwindling supplies and the spread of diseases.
In Cairo, talks led by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, along with CIA Director William Burns and Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani, aimed at cementing a truce and ensuring the delivery of aid to Gaza, ended without a definitive agreement. Despite the urgency, the Israeli delegation’s departure from Cairo without comment from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office emphasizes the challenges facing peace negotiations.
Israeli soldiers ride in a Humvee near the border with southern Gaza, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, Israel, February 12, 2024.
The deadlock in truce talks reflects the complex dynamics at play, with Hamas demanding an end to the war and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza. At the same time, Israel remains committed to its objectives of neutralizing Hamas and securing the release of Israeli hostages taken during the conflict.
International reactions have been swift, with South Africa petitioning the World Court over Israel’s planned extension of its offensive into Rafah and the United Nations expressing concerns over the feasibility of evacuating civilians from an area with no safe havens left. U.S. President Joe Biden has called for restraint and a viable plan to protect civilians, as the international community watches closely, hoping for a resolution that can bring lasting peace to the beleaguered residents of Gaza.
