GAZA: The first phase of the ceasefire, which has been ongoing since January 19, has been completed. In this phase, a swap took place between Hamas and Israel, involving 25 hostages and hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.
Hamas has rejected the Israeli proposals for an extension of the first phase, while talks for the second phase in Cairo are still inconclusive. After meeting with American, Qatari, and Egyptian mediators in Cairo, the Israeli delegation returned.
The UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, has urged both parties to continue the agreement. He stated that the coming days are critical, and both parties must leave no stone unturned to prevent the collapse of the agreement.
On the other hand, the United States has approved the sale of more than 3 billion dollars’ worth of weapons to Israel.
According to foreign media, the Trump administration has approved the sale of 3 billion dollars worth of weapons, bulldozers, and other equipment to Israel, including American-made weapons used in Gaza.
The U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency stated that U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio signed off on the sale of 2.4 billion dollars’ worth of body bombs and other weapons to Israel, while agreements were also signed for the sale of additional bombs, kits, and 295 million dollars’ worth of bulldozers and other equipment.
According to the U.S. agency, the Secretary of State is committed to the further sale of weapons to Israel, explaining that it is an immediate need for the Israeli government and that providing defense services and other supplies to Israel is in the national interest of the United States.
