Washington/Donald Trump assured this Monday that he “does not trust” the maintenance of the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas and the conclusion of the three phases of the agreement, although he stressed that the terrorist group is “very weak.” “I have no confidence. That is not our war, it is their war, but I think they are very weak on the other side (in reference to Hamas),” Trump said, when asked by a journalist in the Oval Office.
The Republican president in turn defined the Gaza Strip as a “huge demolition site” and stressed that the Palestinian enclave “has to be rebuilt in a different way.” “Gaza is interesting. It’s a great place. It’s next to the sea. The best climate. Everything is good. It’s like you can do beautiful things there,” he said, and when asked if he would contribute to its reconstruction he said: “It could be “.
Trump also declared this Monday that he wants to be remembered in the future as a “peacemaker and unifier” and highlighted how his team has played a key role in the ceasefire in Gaza, which has facilitated the release of some Israeli hostages.
The Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, congratulated Trump on his inauguration on Monday, assuring that he hopes to work with him to achieve “the return of the remaining hostages, destroy the military capabilities and political mandate of Hamas in Gaza and ensure that the enclave will never again be a threat to Israel.
The Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, congratulated Trump on his inauguration this Monday
If these objectives are not met, the Israeli authorities assure that they will continue the war in Gaza instead of extending the ceasefire into its second phase, which implies the definitive cessation of hostilities.
Among the Israeli authorities, Trump’s return is seen as an opportunity to strengthen their regional interests, as already happened during the magnate’s first term, in which the Abraham Accords were established, which normalized their relations with the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Sudan. and Morocco.
This Tuesday the ceasefire agreement celebrates its third day. The Government of Qatar, mediator with Egypt and the United States of the truce, assured this Tuesday that it was “satisfied” until the moment of its implementation. “The agreement and the ceasefire will continue in the Gaza Strip, and humanitarian aid will enter as agreed,” said Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed al Ansari at a press conference from Doha.
“So far more than 915 trucks have entered and we have great confidence in the commitment of both parties to implement the agreement,” he stated.
“So far more than 915 trucks have entered and we have great confidence in the commitment of both parties to implement the agreement”
For its part, the World Health Organization (WHO) is now working on its 60-day plan to restore and expand health services in the Strip, where 15 months of attacks destroyed hospitals and left only half of them operational, a spokesperson said. of the agency.
“We really need to think about the health workers in Gaza. We estimate there were about 20,000 before, we don’t know how many there are now (…) and we need to ensure that they feel safe and recognized so that they can return to their workplaces,” he said. WHO spokesperson Tarik Jasarevic at a press conference on Tuesday.
The source stressed that the two-month plan includes inspecting the damage in the attacked places, seeing how services can be recovered, and estimating whether activities can be resumed in health centers now not operational or field hospitals should be installed in their place. and other temporary facilities.
“The idea is to act as quickly as possible, with priority in emergency care, maternal and child health and other areas,” said Jasarevic. At the same press conference, the spokesperson for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, Jens Laerke, stressed that now that hundreds of aid trucks can enter Gaza thanks to the ceasefire, some of the first needs are removal of debris and mines and other dangerous weapons.
“We must maximize the delivery of aid in the current opening. Hunger and disease are widespread, many people are homeless, children are separated from their families and deep psychological trauma persists,” assessed the humanitarian spokesperson. “Our priorities are clear: deliver food, open bakeries, provide health care, replenish hospitals, repair water networks, prepare shelters and reunify families, things that until now we have not been able to do on the necessary scale,” he added.
