The G7 has backed the US plan for a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip and is calling on Hamas to accept it.
Points of attention
- The G7 backed Gaza ceasefire plan includes conditions for an immediate ceasefire, the release of hostages and increased humanitarian aid.
- The war between Israel and Hamas has been ongoing since October 2023 and has led to a humanitarian crisis and numerous civilian casualties.
- Israel offers a ceasefire and the release of hostages, but prepares to eliminate Hamas and its leaders.
- International organizations are calling for an end to hostilities in Gaza, but the situation remains tense due to the confrontation between the parties.
What does the Gaza ceasefire agreement entail?
The G7 is also calling on the Palestinian group Hamas to accept the deal and calling on countries with influence over Hamas to help secure the deal.
We, the leaders of the G7, fully support and will continue to support the comprehensive agreement outlined by President Biden that will lead to an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, the release of all hostages, a significant and sustained increase in humanitarian aid for distribution throughout Gaza, and a definitive end to the security crisis the security interests of Israel and the security of the civilian population of Gaza, the statement said.
Israel proposed a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and the release of all hostages, which has already been handed over to Hamas militants through the mediation of Qatar.
The agreement provides for three stages:
a complete ceasefire and the release of Israeli hostages
negotiations on a "permanent cessation of hostilities" in the Gaza Strip
the restoration of Gaza and the transfer of the remains of the dead hostages to their relatives.
The war between Israel and Hamas
The war between Israel and Hamas has been ongoing since October 7, 2023, when the Islamist group launched a massive rocket attack on southern and central Israel, invading the country and killing at least 1,200 civilians.
According to Israeli authorities, at least 250 people were taken hostage. At least 125 people are still being held in the Gaza Strip after a November prisoner swap deal that freed more than 100 people from Hamas captivity.
In response, Israel launched a counter-terrorist operation. PM Benjamin Netanyahu stated that Israel's military goals are clear — "the destruction of the military and management potential of Hamas and the return of the hostages home."
At the time Israeli PM Netanyahu announced the new IDF operation in Rafah in April, there were over a million Palestinians in the city. The military ordered civilians to evacuate to humanitarian enclaves, where refugees were to be provided with food, water, housing and medical services. According to the latest data, in view of the new Israeli military operation, almost 450,000 people fled Rafah.
The Israeli authorities are determined to conduct an operation and eliminate the last four Hamas battalions based in the city. There is also a task to eliminate the leaders of the militants.
At the same time, the UN International Court of Justice in The Hague passed a decision on May 24 obliging Israel to stop the military offensive and other actions in Rafah, citing the "imminent danger" to the Palestinian people. Israel insists that it has the right to defend itself against the threat of Hamas.
