Hamas refuses to lay down its weapons in exchange for a truce

BarcelonaFor weeks now, Israel has been using the hunger of the inhabitants of Gaza –which has not received humanitarian aid since March 2– to force Hamas to accept a ceasefire that is unfavorable to them and that involves the release of the Israeli hostages. In fact, pressure on the Palestinian militia is increasing both from outside and within the enclave. Just a few weeks ago, Palestinians in Gaza defied the group in unusual protests demanding an end to the conflict..

On Tuesday, the Palestinian group rejected an Israeli proposal that the militia lay down their weapons in exchange for a six-week truce, a Palestinian source told the BBC. For the militia, the plan offered no guarantee of ending the war or of a possible withdrawal of Israeli troops deployed in Gaza. However, it did call for the release of half of the hostages, who are the only bargaining chip the Palestinian militia has available to negotiate with Tel Aviv.

Hamas's refusal is very convenient for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who on Tuesday set foot in Gaza for the first time since Israel violated the ceasefire on March 18. The militia's refusal could be interpreted as an unwillingness to negotiate and pave the way for Israel to justify a full invasion of the enclave, now that its army has increased military operations on the ground. Since the new offensive, the Israeli army has occupied territory in both the north and the south, now controlling almost 70% of the enclave, which is under displacement orders or in exclusion zones, according to the latest United Nations estimate. According to the Israeli prime minister's office, Netanyahu has been strolling through the north of the Strip.

Since the war began, the Israeli leader has defended the destruction of Gaza, citing the release of hostages and the dismantling of Hamas. But so far, he has not achieved either goal, which has weakened him internally, to the point of shake the stability of its coalition government.

The worst humanitarian situation since the war began

Although Israel's proposal put Hamas between a rock and a hard place, the militia's refusal closes the door to providing respite for the population of Gaza, which is suffering from a serious food crisis. This Tuesday, the United Nations warned that the humanitarian situation in Gaza is now "the worst in 18 months, since hostilities began." Although Israel maintains that the supplies within the Strip can last for months, UN agencies deny this and warn that the blockade Israel imposes on the entry of aid violates international humanitarian law.

Likewise, the UN Office for Humanitarian Affairs explains that its agents deployed on the ground report an increase in attacks that cause "massive civilian casualties" and destroy essential infrastructure necessary to "keep people alive." The latest examples of this practice are Tuesday's bombing of the Kuwait Hospital in southern Gaza, and The destruction of the Al Ahli health center on Sunday, the last one remaining in operation in Gaza City.