Fragile Gaza ceasefire holds as uncertainties remain

The tenuous ceasefire successful the two-year Israel-Hamas war was holding adjacent arsenic analyzable issues stay ahead, a time aft widespread jubilation implicit the instrumentality to Israel of the past 20 surviving hostages held successful Gaza and the merchandise of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners and detainees successful exchange.

The database of much contiguous questions includes those connected when Hamas will instrumentality to Israel the bodies of the 24 hostages believed to beryllium dormant successful Gaza, arsenic well arsenic the wellness conditions of the released hostages and freed Palestinians.

Only 4 of the deceased hostages, whose merchandise is besides portion of the archetypal signifier of the ceasefire woody brokered by US President Donald Trump, were turned implicit to Israeli authorities connected Monday.

On Tuesday, the Israeli subject identified two of them: Guy Illouz from Israel and Bipin Joshi, a student from Nepal.

The two men were some successful their 20s when Hamas-led militants took them during the October 7, 2023 onslaught connected that ignited the war – Illouz from the Nova euphony festival and Joshi from a weaponry shelter.

Israel said Illouz died of his wounds while being held captive without due aesculapian treatment, while Joshi was murdered successful captivity successful the archetypal months of the war, adding that the National Center of Forensic Medicine would aboriginal supply the last origin of death.

The freed Israeli hostages were successful aesculapian attraction connected Tuesday, and some families said it would beryllium weeks earlier the men could spell home. In the West Bank and Gaza, where hundreds of prisoners were released, respective were besides taken to hospitals.

Separately, the Israeli subject said troops successful the bluish Gaza Strip had “opened occurrence to region the threat” of respective radical approaching them connected Tuesday crossed the “yellow line” and not complying with orders to stop. It didn’t instantly remark connected immoderate casualties successful the incident.

Part of the ceasefire statement is that Israel would propulsion backmost successful Gaza to the so-called yellow enactment where its forces were successful August, earlier launching their latest violative connected the Gaza City successful the strip’s north.

Longer-term issues besides bent successful the balance, including whether Hamas will disarm, who will govern and assistance rebuild Gaza, and the overarching question of Palestinian statehood, which is cardinal for Palestinians and galore countries successful the region.

“The archetypal steps to bid are ever the hardest,” Trump had said arsenic helium stood with overseas leaders successful Egypt connected Monday for a summit connected Gaza’s future. He hailed the ceasefire woody helium brokered betwixt Israel and Hamas arsenic the extremity of the war successful Gaza – and start of rebuilding the devastated territory.

On Tuesday, the UN improvement bureau said the latest associated estimation from the UN, the European Union and the World Bank is that $US70 cardinal ($A110 billion) will beryllium required to rebuild Gaza.

Jaco Cillers, special typical of UNDP head for a programme to assistance Palestinians, said $US20 cardinal ($A30 billion) would beryllium needed successful the adjacent three years, and the remainder would beryllium needed implicit a longer play – perchance decades.

In Egypt, Trump urged determination leaders to “put aged feuds aside” arsenic world leaders met to sermon the challenges up successful securing a lasting peace. Representatives from Israel oregon Hamas were not astatine the summit.

Source: AAP