Waiting for a breakthrough to save the Gaza ceasefire

The conflict escalated.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced yesterday that two rockets were launched from Lebanon at northern Israel. The IDF said it intercepted one and the other landed in Lebanese territory. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz warned that if peace on Israel's northern borders was not guaranteed, there would be no peace in the Lebanese capital Beirut. "We will ensure the security of our people and act firmly against threats," Katz said. Following the warning, The Guardian reported yesterday that Israel had carried out its first airstrikes on Beirut since the November 2024 ceasefire.

Smoke rises from an explosion after Israel bombed Lebanon for the first time since the ceasefire agreement.

Hezbollah denied any involvement in the rocket launch, claiming that the information provided by Israel was merely a pretext for continuing military operations in Lebanon. Following the launch, Lebanese media reported that Israel had launched airstrikes on the city of Nabatieh in southern Lebanon. Prior to this, Israeli airstrikes on Lebanon on March 27th had killed six people.

Israeli army tanks at an undisclosed location on March 23.

With Israel's activities in the Gaza Strip, Reuters said that the Israeli attack on March 27 killed a family of six and a Hamas spokesman. Gaza's health agency announced that more than 50,000 Palestinians have been killed since the conflict broke out in October 2023. After more than a year, in Gaza in recent days, protests with hundreds of people participating, protesting the war and Hamas' control of this land. This is a rare development from the people of Gaza, when openly opposing Hamas after more than a year of conflict.

A group of Palestinian armed groups, including Hamas, warned of sanctions against those deemed to be aiding Israel. Hamas officials stressed that people have the right to protest but it should not be used for political purposes or to deny Israel's activities in Gaza in recent times. Some protesters said they just wanted to express their fatigue with the prolonged conflict, which has seriously affected their lives and basic needs.

Shuttle diplomacy efforts

Amidst ongoing fighting in the Middle East, diplomatic efforts continue as mediators seek viable solutions to restore the ceasefire in Gaza.

According to The Times of Israel , Qatar presented Hamas with a US proposal on March 27th, under which Hamas would release American hostage Edan Alexander in exchange for a statement from US President Donald Trump offering to restrain attacks on Gaza and engage in negotiations for a permanent ceasefire. However, diplomats are not optimistic that Hamas will accept such a weak and unbinding proposal.

Meanwhile, AFP, citing informed sources, reported that discussions between Hamas and mediators have yet to make a breakthrough, with success depending on goodwill—whether either Israel or Hamas is willing to make concessions. Egyptian officials said there were positive signs from Israel regarding Cairo's proposal, including Hamas releasing five hostages per week and Israel implementing a second phase of the ceasefire after the first week, but Tel Aviv has not yet responded to this information.

Professor Mohamad Elmasry, from the Doha Graduate Institute (Qatar), told Al Jazeera that there are currently two core positions. Israel and its ally, the US, want a hostage release agreement without ending the conflict, and therefore they will try to exert military pressure on Hamas. Conversely, Hamas and Arab countries in general want the release of prisoners to be coupled with an end to the war.

"The proposals from the mediators all require Israel to move to a phase 2 agreement (negotiations for a permanent ceasefire). Whether Hamas will be under enough pressure to accept concessions remains to be seen," said Professor Mohamad Elmasry.

Israel uncovers plot to use UAVs for arms smuggling.

Israeli military and police said yesterday they thwarted an attempt to smuggle rifles from Egypt into Israel using a drone, The Times of Israel reported. Israeli authorities detected the drone crossing the border and shot it down. The drone and nine rifles were handed over to police for investigation. Earlier, on March 27, the Israeli military discovered a drone being used to smuggle 10 kg of drugs. In recent months, Israel has uncovered numerous cases of drones being used to smuggle weapons and drugs into Israel from the Egyptian border.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/cho-dot-pha-cuu-van-lenh-ngung-ban-gaza-185250328221213275.htm