Between last night and this morning, the Israeli army (IDF) began to withdraw troops in the Gaza Strip according to the agreed deployment lines, as part of the agreement with Hamas to guarantee the release of all hostages held captive by the Palestinian group.
Some forces have been completely withdrawn from Gaza, while others will remain in positions along the deployment lines. The withdrawal takes place under the cover of artillery shelling and airstrikes in some areas, as reported by the Times of Israel.
It is expected that the IDF will complete the withdrawal by this evening, i.e. within 24 hours of the official ratification of the agreement with Hamas by the Israeli government. Once the withdrawal is complete, the army will retain control of just over half of the Strip’s territory, or 53 percent, most of which is outside urban areas. This includes a buffer zone along the entire Gaza border, including the Philadelphi corridor (the border area between Egypt and Gaza), along with Beit Hanoun and Beit Lahiya in the far north of the Strip, a small promontory on the eastern outskirts of Gaza City, and large portions of Rafah and Khan Younis in the southern Strip.
Trump in Israel on Monday morning, maximum alert
Israel is on high security alert ahead of the arrival of the US president. At the moment the provisional program of his visit – revealed by the media – foresees that Donald Trump should land at Ben Gurion airport at 9.20 on Monday morning where there will be a welcome, as estimated by the Knesset. That is, before the start of the Jewish holiday of Simchat Torah. After his speech to the Israeli Parliament, the president is expected to conclude his brief visit and return, without further meetings or special ceremonies.
Pizzaballa: “I will go to Gaza as soon as possible”
«We cannot be naive. But it is certainly the end of a long night”, “rather than talking about peace, I would say that we see the first lights of dawn: which does not mean that it is broad daylight. It’s a right start, something that brings hope: already this morning, in the streets around here, there was a different energy. The road is long, there will be many obstacles, but it is also time to rejoice in this moment, which is certainly positive.” Thus the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, in an interview with La Repubblica.
«Little by little, but it will take time, we will have to admit that there is not only one’s part in this story. Entering into the pain of the other will also take time: recognizing that the other is there, that he exists, seems to me to be a good starting point”, he underlines. «In recent years, and in particular in the last two years, the guiding idea has been ‘me and no one else’: this will have to change. It won’t be quick and it won’t be easy: it will take a long journey, it will also take leadership. One of the problems we have is that the leadership, both political and religious, on both sides in recent years has not helped,” he observes.
For Pizzaballa «when the war ends, if the war ends, we will be able to truly understand the situation. We are talking about people who have lost everything: homes, jobs, prospects. It will take a great desire to get involved to stay. I believe that someone will leave and someone will decide to stay. We, as always, will be there: we are already planning a hospital and a school.”
The Patriarch reiterates the Vatican’s position, that of the two states, “the ideal solution, which we cannot deny to the Palestinians”. «We know very well that it cannot be achieved in a short time but we cannot give up this principle», he says. «I agree that we will have to deal with reality. For this reason too, new leadership will be needed on both sides: capable, in a creative way, of thinking about a future for these two peoples. A dignified future for both.”
And in an interview in Avvenire, Pizzaballa announces that “as soon as possible” he will be in Gaza: “We promised it to our parishioners, and we will return to be with them, to support them, to encourage them, and to thank them for their testimony.” If you could express one wish, what would it be? «May this agreement be fully and faithfully implemented, so that it can mark the beginning of the end of this terrible war. There is an absolute urgency for immediate humanitarian relief and the unconditional delivery of sufficient aid to the suffering population of Gaza.”