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Unfortunately, Israel confirmed that they do not agree with the latest draft on a ceasefire with Hamas, dashing the hopes that peace would arrive in the coming days. Hamas accepted a proposal yesterday from Egypt and Qatar, marking one of the first ceasefires that they have agreed with. However, Israel stated that the proposal does not agree with their core demands, but they will continue talks with Hamas.
Meanwhile, more chaos has ensued in southern Gaza as Israel invades Rafah. Initially, towards the beginning of the war, millions of citizens were forced to shift south after the northern portion of the Gaza Strip was bombarded with airstrikes. 1.4 million of those evacuees moved to the southernmost city of Rafah, where most of the aid has been pouring in through the Egyptian border crossing.
However, Israel claims that there are plenty of Hamas operatives hiding out among the citizens in Rafah, and invading the city is crucial to completely eliminating the terrorist organization. They have issued immediate evacuation orders for all of southeastern Gaza, urging people to move west to the coast. They are not recommended to shift north, as there is extreme famine going on up there.
The western area they are moving to includes part of the city of Khan Younis, which has been devastated by Israeli attacks. 80% of the city's buildings are pure wreckage, and most of the rest is considered uninhabitable due to the severe damage. It also includes the smaller town of Deir el-Balah, which has also been pounded by airstrikes.
Yesterday, Israeli forces used tanks to take control of the Rafah border crossing, which has been seen as an invasion by many. On the other hand, Israel maintains that it is a limited operation to cut off Hamas' arms smuggling through the crossing-- it is not meant to halt any aid flow, and it should not be considered as a full-scale invasion of Rafah.
United States President Joe Biden has reminded Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to ensure the safety of the 1.4 million Palestinians residing in the Rafah area, but Netanyahu's cabinet is pushing him to launch a tougher offensive and take down Hamas, no matter the civilian consequences.
Talks between Hamas and Israel will continue, and we will keep you updated on the latest with the ceasefire, the evacuations, and the Rafah invasion.
Fact of the Day (Reader's Digest): When turkeys are scared or excited, they can actually blush. The pale skin on their head and neck turns bright red, blue, or white, and the flap of skin over their beaks, called a snood, also reddens.
Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life.
(Steve Jobs)
Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Extemporize (verb) - To extemporize means to do something extemporaneously—in other words, to improvise.
In a Sentence: A good talk show host must be able to extemporize when interviews don’t go as planned.
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