Saudi, Syria, Egypt, UAE announce the start of the Ramadan fasting
Mediating countries will continue to persuade for ceasefire during Ramadan
Netanyahu: “My Red Line is Not Repeating October 7”
The Palestinian Gaza Strip is set to have the Islamic fasting month of Ramadan without a ceasefire.
Ramadan holds profound significance as the holy month when the Islamic Prophet Muhammad received the Quran. However, the escalating tensions between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas signal a precarious situation, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s declaration of an invasion of Rafah despite the U.S.’s “red line” warning.
According to Politico, a U.S. political media outlet on the 11th, Saudi Arabia, the Islamic holy land, officially marked the beginning of Ramadan after sighting the new moon in Mecca on the 11th. Syria, Egypt, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Qatar, Iraq, and others also announced the start of the fasting month following suit.
Mediating countries such as Qatar and Egypt made nearly two weeks of efforts to bring about negotiations between the Palestinian militant group Hamas and Israel before Ramadan but ultimately failed.
Israel demanded that Hamas send a list of surviving hostages, those to be released, and Palestinian security criminals to be released in exchange for hostage release. Hamas put forth the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip and initiated discussions for a permanent ceasefire. However, with both sides unwilling to accept these core demands, the negotiations have reached an impasse.
Despite the deadlock, mediating nations have expressed their commitment to pursuing a ceasefire agreement throughout Ramadan.
Prime Minister Netanyahu declared an invasion of Rafah despite the U.S.’s warning. In response to a question about whether the Israeli army would move to Rafah, Netanyahu said, “We will go there. We’re not going to leave. You know, I have a red line. You know what the red line is, that October 7 doesn’t happen again. Never happens again.” October 7 is the day when Hamas attacked Israel.
Netanyahu’s stance comes in light of U.S. President Joe Biden’s cautionary remarks. In an interview on the 9th, President Biden said in response to a question about Israel invading Rafah, the last refuge in the Gaza Strip, “That would be crossing a red line.”
However, he emphasized, “But I’m never going to leave Israel. The defense of Israel is still critical,” and “There’s no red line [where] I’m going to cut off all weapons so they don’t have the Iron Dome to protect them.” He added, “If there is a red line, it is that we can’t have another 30,000 Palestinians dead.”
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