Tuesday, May 7

Contents:

1. Hamas Accepts Temporary Ceasefire Proposal From Egypt and Qatar

2. Fact of the Day

3. Quote of the Day

4. Word of the Day

We have some huge news today: Hamas has accepted a temporary ceasefire proposal from Egypt and Qatar. The nations have been constantly working for months to try and get both sides to agree on a proposal, and the day has finally come.

It will require the release of 20 to 33 hostages by Hamas, and Israel will halt the war for a few weeks. During the ceasefire, they will further exchange prisoners of war from both sides, and the bodies of some of the deceased hostages will also be returned.

Israel has not confirmed their approval, though. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is still reviewing the proposal that he helped to create, making sure that it is in his best interests.

He previously stated that an invasion into the city of Rafah, where over 1.4 million people are sheltering from the war, was guaranteed in the near future, and he would not back down because much of Hamas had hidden in Rafah to avoid being taken out. This week, he issued immediate evacuation orders for the entire city, sending citizens into panic. His cabinet is also urging him to take action and take over Rafah, and they have stated that accepting a ceasefire now could set back their progress. Unfortunately, the invasion of Rafah would inevitably lead to more loss of life and more suffering for hundreds of thousands of people, worsening the already-horrible humanitarian crisis.

However, the Israeli public and most of the world is imploring Israel to accept a ceasefire deal, and it could be horrible publicity if he turns down the proposal-- possibly sparking riots and protests all over the country.

It is still unclear whether he plans to accept the ceasefire deal and stop the Rafah invasion, accept the deal and still invade Rafah, or deny the deal altogether. We also do not know which version of the proposal Hamas has accepted-- these details are part of an outline that was released last week, so changes may have been made.

Updates are sure to arrive in the coming days.

Fact of the Day (Reader's Digest): Blue whales eat 457,000 calories in one mouthful-- that's a lot of krill!

Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): Life isn’t a matter of milestones, but of moments. (Rose Kennedy)

Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Plangent (adj) - Something, such as a sound, that is described as plangent is loud, deep, and often expressive of sadness or suffering. The word is a synonym of plaintive.

In a Sentence: The campers were awoken by the plangent howl of a coyote off in the distance.