Photograph: Mahmoud Issa/Reuters
Summary
The US president, Donald Trump, told CNN that Hamas will face “complete obliteration” if the Palestinian militant group refuses to give up power and control of Gaza.
Trump’s 20-point proposal to end the war stipulates that Hamas release all hostages within 72 hours, surrender ruling power to a transnational authority headed by the US president, and disarm. In return, Israel would gradually withdraw its troops from the Gaza Strip and return more than 1,000 Palestinian prisoners.
The US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, said Israel’s war in Gaza has “not yet” ended, describing the release of the hostages held by Hamas as the first phase, while details on what happens after that still need to be worked out.
At least 67,139 Palestinian people have been killed and 169,583 others injured in Israeli attacks on Gaza since 7 October 2023, the Gaza health ministry said in a statement.
Greece, one of the closest EU member states to Israel, politically and geographically, has also weighed in today with an offer of diplomatic assistance to end the war in Gaza.
Israel deported a further 29 activists detained by the navy last week for taking part in a flotilla that sought to deliver aid to blockaded Gaza, the foreign ministry said.
Hundreds of thousands of people across several European cities marched today in support of Palestinians and the aid flotilla’s attempt to reach Gaza.
The 15 remaining Italian citizens arrested by Israeli forces intercepting the Gaza-bound Global Sumud Aid Flotilla will leave Israel on Monday, Rome’s foreign minister Antonio Tajani said.
The 15 remaining Italian citizens arrested by Israeli forces intercepting the Gaza-bound Global Sumud Aid Flotilla will leave Israel on Monday, Rome’s foreign minister Antonio Tajani said.
“The last 15 Italians of the Flotilla remaining in Israel will depart tomorrow on a charter flight to Athens. They will be assisted by our Embassy both at departure and then in Greece during their transfer to Italy,” Tajani said on X.
Unlike a first group of 26 Italians who left Israel Saturday, the 15 had to wait for their judicial expulsion from the country as they refused to sign a form allowing their voluntary release, reported Agence France-Presse.
The first group, when they returned to Italy, were welcomed by some 200 people at Rome’s Fiumicino airport. Several Italian members of the flotilla denounced their detention conditions and what they said was degrading treatment by the Israeli authorities.
