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1st Phase Gaza Ceasefire Imminent

by Oui Tue Jan 14th, 2025 at 11:27:10 AM EST

Egypt prepares for Rafah crossing reopening amid Gaza ceasefire progress | China Daily - 14 Jan 2025 |

A man pushes a trolley with luggage as he crosses from Gaza to Egypt, at the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and the Gaza Strip, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, in Rafah, Egypt, Feb 1, 2024 [Credit: Reuters/Mohamed Abd El Ghany]

CAIRO - Egypt has heightened its preparedness for the reopening of the Rafah border crossing in anticipation of a potential ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, as negotiations show signs of progress, an Egyptian official told Xinhua on Monday.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said authorities have increased readiness across all departments at the Rafah crossing, including security, administrative, passport, health, and quarantine units, to ensure the immediate movement of Palestinians when the crossing reopens.

"All necessary departments remain operational at Rafah, even during closure periods," the source added, emphasizing that the Egyptian side is fully equipped to handle the situation.

An official from the Egyptian Red Crescent stated that humanitarian aid stockpiled near the crossing is ready for immediate dispatch to Gaza once Rafah reopens. He noted that 40 to 50 aid trucks, including fuel, are currently transported daily to the Kerem Shalom crossing on the Israeli side with support from UN agencies.

The official added that 500 trucks of aid are awaiting entry into Gaza at the Rafah logistics area, with an additional 2,000 truckloads stored in warehouses in Arish.

The Rafah crossing has remained closed to aid deliveries since May 2024, when the Israeli military took control of its Palestinian side, halting Egyptian aid shipments to Gaza via this route.


See my earlier posts in diary last night

Criminals … genocidal acts as ceasefire deal could have been finalized 8 months ago …

I

Ceasefire: Trump official Steve Witkoff In Crucial Role

Israeli officials: Deal will see 33 hostages freed in 1st stage, most of them alive | TOI - 13 Jan. 2025 |

: The officials also said that pressure and threats from incoming US President-elect Donald Trump had helped bring Hamas to the table, and they stressed that Israel was working with both teams, including Biden envoy Brett McGurk and Trump official Steve Witkoff, and that the administrations were also coordinating with each other.

The officials said that IDF troops would remain in a new buffer zone inside Gaza to better defend Israeli border communities. Israel will not completely withdraw from Gaza until the war’s goals are achieved, among them the return of all the hostages.

A deal to end the Gaza war is “closer than it’s ever been,” the official said, adding that US envoys Witkoff and McGurk, along with Mossad chief David Barnea and Shin Bet head Ronen Bar, were expected to attend.

Talks advanced after ‘tense’ meeting between Netanyahu, Trump envoy

Two officials familiar with the latest ceasefire push told The Times of Israel on Monday that Trump’s Mideast envoy Witkoff held a “tense” meeting with Netanyahu on Saturday, during which the former leaned hard on the Israeli premier to accept compromises necessary to secure a hostage deal by the January 20 US presidential inauguration.

A brief overview …

Egyptian presidency emphasizes permanently open Rafa crossing | Egypt Daily - 9 Feb 2024 |

Egypt has worked tirelessly to deliver the aid from a crossing designed for people only. It has also coordinated with numerous entities to ensure Gaza’s access to aid, and a sufficient volume of supplies.

As Egypt has exerted immense efforts to deliver aid and persuade international parties to send more aid, other efforts have been exerted on Egypt to stop the aid.

Egypt has also organized visits by international officials to Rafah crossing to witness the scale at which the country works to ensure the entry of aid at a swift pace to catch the intervals without border strikes.

Egypt used several strong adjectives to describe its position on delivering aid and achieving a ceasefire in Gaza, such as “unequivocal, unwavering, and unshakable committment.”

Egypt deals with the tragedy in Gaza with “utmost urgency” to protect civilians under “the most severe and harsh humanitarian catastrophe imaginable” and to save them from the shelling, hunger and disease.

Egypt also reiterated that endeavors to displace Palestinians “are doomed to fail.”

The only solution is one of a two-states, where an independent Palestinian state is established along the June 4, 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

Full Text of the Ceasefire Agreement That Hamas has Accepted | Arab Center for Diplomacy - 6 May 2024 |

Al-Araby al-Jadeed obtained the text of the Gaza ceasefire agreement announced on Monday, May 6, 2024. Hamas has informed Qatar and Egypt of its acceptance of the agreement. Following is the verbatim text of the agreement that has a three-stage implementation plan, each lasting for 42 days:

Basic principles for an agreement between the Israeli side and the Palestinian side in Gaza on the exchange of detainees and prisoners and the return of sustainable calm.

The framework agreement aims to release all Israeli detainees in the Gaza Strip, whether civilians or soldiers and whether alive or otherwise, in exchange for the freeing of agreed upon numbers of prisoners in Israeli prisons, and a return to sustainable calm, in a way that achieves a permanent ceasefire, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, and reconstruction.

From blog archives: key word | Rafah crossing | Philadelphi Corridor |

Netanyahu Spy Scandal: Leak Sabotaged Hostage Deal in Order to Save His Skin | Tikun Olam - 3 Nov 2024 |

… to continue the war and stay in power

I must disagree … over the years and recent months you have convinced me it’s to fulfil his father’s Zionist dream (Jabotinsky). Bibi exploits every opportunity to block peace as in the 1990s, assassination of Rabin, spewing hatred and negating the Oslo Accords. 9/11 was exploited that same month to equate Palestinian movement to Al Qaeda terror … the PNAC covered the neocon wars to the delight of extremist rightwing in the US, Europe and Israel. To my great disappointment, Joe has been a warmonger for decades and a fellow traveller with Bibi. Joe has a goal of punishing Iran … convergence. Joe has aligned in too many ways with Trump on MAGA and Abraham Accords. Bibi (UAE too) and Vlad want a Trump victory.

If there were elections today for Israeli citizens … Likud PM Bibi Netanyahu would be re-elected … how quite similar to Orban - Wilders - Trump - Putin ⁉️

[Work in progress ⚠️ … more to come]

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'Sapere aude'
by Oui (Oui) on Wed Jan 15th, 2025 at 10:07:08 AM EST

Arab officials: Trump envoy swayed Netanyahu more in one meeting than Biden did all year | TOI |

'Tense' Jerusalem sit-down led to breakthrough in talks, with Israel and Hamas agreeing in principle to hostage deal two days later; sides now finalizing implementation details

Witkoff has been in Doha for the past week to take part in the hostage negotiations, as mediators try to secure a deal before Trump's January 20 inauguration. On Saturday (Shabbat), Witkoff flew to Israel for a meeting with Netanyahu at the premier's Jerusalem office.

During the meeting, Witkoff urged Netanyahu to accept key compromises necessary for an agreement, the two Arab officials on Monday told The Times of Israel on condition of anonymity. Neither Witkoff nor Netanyahu's office responded to requests for comment.



'Sapere aude'
by Oui (Oui) on Wed Jan 15th, 2025 at 10:08:42 AM EST
[ Parent ]


'Sapere aude'
by Oui (Oui) on Wed Jan 15th, 2025 at 10:09:38 AM EST
[ Parent ]
My posts @TikunOlam

Thanks Richard .. an excellent overview as always ...

Some caveats ...

"Refugees would return to their homes."
... excusez-moi, quelles maisons ?

The humanitarian goods will come across the Rafah crossing from Egypt ... unimpeded

Egypt prepares for Rafah crossing reopening amid Gaza ceasefire progress | China Daily - Xinhua |

As I wrote over a year ago ... the Egyptian hard stance was to build the fence to "prevent" Israel and the US to dump the Gazans outside of Palestinian territory. [Philadelphi corridor] Sisi held firm.

What role does China still play in the shadows to unite the Arab front with Iran?

The Saudi Kingdom has regained its foothold in Lebanon ... think Hariri 2005.

MBS is still subjected to the King and his court of advisors. No normalization with the Jewish State until a definite path to a Palestinian State. Trying to keep UAE on board which has a perfide history in its relation to Palestinians, willing to work hand in glove with Israeli intelligence at all levels.

In this existential war for Palestinian statehood, New Syria will not be a Western ally ... the strength lies with Türkiye and Qatar. The HTS group cannot change its roots in Al Qaeda and Jabhat al-Nusra. In the long term, Israel will too have lost and is at the mercy of its neighbours. Take it or leave it.

The Arab League of nations have shown unity with the OIC organization of all Islamic states including Pakistan, Indonesia, Malaysia and Southern part of Philippines.

Extraordinary Summit Between the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the Arab League Calls for Embargo Against Israel | SPA - Riyadh Saudi Arabia |

'Sapere aude'

by Oui (Oui) on Wed Jan 15th, 2025 at 11:06:44 AM EST
[ Parent ]
A senior aide told Israeli media that Netanyahu was not formally invited to US President-Elect Trump's inauguration on 20 January.

Did Bibi cancel his trip to the US after Trump tweeted the truth about Israel from Jeffrey Sachs?

Bibi can always hide behind a ICC lie of course.

Israeli Prime Minister not going to 80th anniversary of Auschwitz liberation, even though Poland promises not to arrest him

'Sapere aude'

by Oui (Oui) on Wed Jan 15th, 2025 at 11:08:10 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Joe Biden sending extra arms and munitions to Ukraine and Netanyahu ahead of Trump's inauguration.



'Sapere aude'
by Oui (Oui) on Wed Jan 15th, 2025 at 12:08:42 PM EST


'Sapere aude'
by Oui (Oui) on Wed Jan 15th, 2025 at 05:27:13 PM EST
US president seeks to defend legacy on the global stage before Donald Trump takes office | Al Jazeera |

Biden spoke just seven days before Trump's inauguration on January 20.

The president-elect had condemned Biden's foreign policy on the campaign trail, accusing the Democrat of weakening the US's standing abroad while allowing wars in Ukraine and the Middle East to fester.

Biden offered a different picture on Monday. His leadership, he argued, had strengthened the US's technological, economic and strategic position against China, a competing world power.

The Democrat also praised his administration's role in rallying NATO support for Ukraine, which has faced a full-scale invasion from Russia since February 2022.

He also defended the chaotic US withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021, which fulfilled an agreement with the Taliban reached under Trump. The withdrawal ended two decades of US presence in the country.

" When I took office, I had a choice. Ultimately, I saw no reason to keep thousands of servicemen in Afghanistan," Biden said.

"By ending the war, we have been able to focus our energy and resources on more urgent challenges."

He added that he was "the first president of decades who's not leaving a war in Afghanistan to his successor".



'Sapere aude'
by Oui (Oui) on Wed Jan 15th, 2025 at 05:28:10 PM EST
[ Parent ]
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'Sapere aude'
by Oui (Oui) on Wed Jan 15th, 2025 at 05:37:58 PM EST


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