As the Israel-Hamas war rages on, latest reports have claimed that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his war cabinet have approved the ceasefire proposal put forth by US president Joe Biden. However, despite their approval of the plan, Israel continues to maintain its goals in Gaza to eliminate Hamas.
Meanwhile, as the anger regarding Israeli bombardment in Gaza grows, the Maldives government has announced a ban for all Israeli passport holders from entering the country.
Here's the latest on the Israel-Gaza war as it enters Day 240
Netanyahu, War Cabinet Approve US' Ceasefire Plan
Speaking to CBS News, an aide of Israeli PM Netanyahu has stated that the prime minister and war cabinet have approved the ceasefire proposal put forth by the United States. When Biden had proposed the three-phase ceasefire plan for Israel and Hamas and to ultimately end the war, Netanyahu had stated that it was "not a good deal".
As per the latest report, a deal is yet to be finalised as the war continues to rage and the death toll mounts. CBS News has further reported that Israel and the US are now awaiting Hamas' response.
Maldives Moves To Ban Israelis From Entering The Country
Citing the Gaza War, the Maldives government is moving towards passing a legislation which would ban all Israeli passport holders from entering the island nation.
Maldives, which is a primarily Muslim country, is taking this call in response to Israel's ground operations and bombardment in Gaza. As per a statement from the Maldivian President's office, the President imposed the ban on advise of cabinet members.
"President Dr Mohamed Muizzu, following a recommendation from the Cabinet, has resolved to impose a ban on Israeli passports. The Cabinet decision includes amending necessary laws to prevent Israeli passport holders from entering the Maldives and establishing a Cabinet subcommittee to oversee these efforts," stated the press release from the Maldives President's office.
Along with the ban, the Maldives government has announced the appointment of a “special envoy to assess Palestinian needs”, and a fundraising campaign to support the UN’s agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA.
North Gaza Declared A 'Disaster Stricken Area'
As per the Emergency Committee of North Gaza, the northern region of the strip and the Jabalia refugee camp have been declared as a disaster zone. As per Al Jazeera, the Israeli military has destroyed around 50,000 residential units in the area.
Public facilities, infrastructure, water well and other public services have been destroyed by Israeli forces. Furthermore, due to the block on humanitarian aid, Famine is spreading across the strip, particularly Northern Gaza.
Israelis Demand Hostage Deal, Denounce Government Over Delay In Their Release
Tens of thousands of Israelis marched out on the streets to demand a hostage deal. The protest, led by relatives of Gaza hostages denounced the Netanyahu government and called for the urgent release of all remaining hostages held by Hamas.
On October 7, nearly 250 people were taken as hostages back into the Gaza Strip. Since then, around 110 hostages have been freed but around 130 remain captive in Gaza. As per the IDF, around 30-40 of the remaining hostages have been presumed dead.
The Israel-Hamas war broke out on October 7, 2023, after the Palestinian militant group Hamas launched a terror attack on southern Israel. The Hamas attack resulted in the killing of 1,140 people and the kidnapping of around 250 hostages.
Since then, Israel has launched an intensive air, sea and group operation in the Gaza Strip as part of its goal to eliminate Hamas. However, Israel's military operations have killed 36,000 Palestinian civilians in the strip and is expected to kill more if the war is not paused or stopped.
