US President Donald Trump expressed hope for a new ceasefire in Gaza, suggesting a deal between Israel and Hamas might be reached as early as next week, reports RTE.
“We think within the next week, we’re going to get a ceasefire,” Mr Trump told reporters.
He mentioned he had spoken with individuals involved in negotiating a truce between Israel and Hamas to halt ongoing hostilities, reports RTE.
The previous ceasefire in the intense conflict was facilitated by the US during the final phase of former president Joe Biden’s term, with the involvement of Mr Trump’s incoming administration.
That ceasefire was declared over by Israel in March, which then resumed military operations against Hamas, reports RTE.
The President’s remarks coincided with a statement from Gaza’s civil defence, claiming that Israeli forces had killed at least 62 individuals, including ten people who were waiting for aid.
Mahmud Bassal, a spokesperson for civil defence, said 62 Palestinians lost their lives due to Israeli airstrikes or gunfire in Gaza, reports RTE.
The Israeli military, when questioned, responded that it was “looking into the incidents,” and denied any involvement in one central Gaza location where a fatality had been reported by rescue teams.
According to Israel’s Haaretz newspaper, the country’s Military Advocate General has launched an inquiry into possible war crimes after accusations that Israeli troops intentionally fired on Palestinian civilians near areas designated for aid distribution, reports RTE.
The left-leaning publication Haaretz cited unnamed Israeli soldiers who alleged they were instructed to fire at groups of people to drive them back, using lethal force against individuals who did not appear to pose a threat.
The military has denied issuing any orders to target civilians, stating that the Israel Defense Forces did not instruct personnel to deliberately shoot at non-combatants.
They also noted that they were taking steps to enhance “the operational response” in aid zones, recently installing new fencing, adding warning signs, and creating more access routes to distribution sites, reports RTE.
Unnamed sources quoted by Haaretz said a military unit tasked with reviewing incidents for potential breaches of international law had begun investigating troops’ actions in areas near aid locations over the past month.
The military said that some of the cases were under review by the appropriate authorities.
It added: “Any allegation of a deviation from the law or IDF directives will be thoroughly examined, and further action will be taken as necessary,” reports RTE.
This comes as the US State Department announced the approval of $30 million in funding for the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), encouraging other countries to support the disputed organisation providing aid in Gaza.
“This support is simply the latest iteration of President [Donald] Trump’s and Secretary [Marco] Rubio’s pursuit of peace in the region,” State Department deputy spokesperson Tommy Pigott told reporters at a regular news briefing, reports RTE.
Though the US has previously supported the GHF diplomatically, this marks the first publicly known financial contribution by the US government to the group, which uses private, for-profit American military and logistics contractors to deliver aid at so-called secure locations.
Leading aid organisations and the United Nations have refused to collaborate with the GHF, accusing it of violating fundamental humanitarian norms by coordinating its efforts with military forces, reports RTE.
Doctors Without Borders demanded the aid programme be stopped, describing it as “slaughter masquerading as humanitarian aid.”
In a statement, the organisation said the GHF “is degrading Palestinians by design, forcing them to choose between starvation or risking their lives for minimal supplies.”
They also called for the entire initiative to be “immediately dismantled,” reports RTE.
Since March, Israel has restricted the delivery of food and other essentials into Gaza, resulting in famine warnings in a region largely destroyed by bombing after Hamas’s 7 October 2023 attack on Israel.
The GHF, supported by armed US contractors and Israeli soldiers stationed on the outskirts, began its operations in late May amid scenes of chaos, fatalities, and concerns over its impartiality, reports RTE.
According to Gaza’s health ministry, nearly 550 people have been killed near aid distribution points since the GHF started operating at the end of May, as desperate civilians try to access scarce resources.
Following Israel’s decision to lift the 11-week aid blockade, which enabled limited UN convoys to resume, the United Nations reported that over 400 individuals have died while trying to collect assistance from both UN and GHF operations, reports RTE.
Earlier in the month, the GHF paused deliveries for a day, urging Israel to enhance protection measures near its aid locations after dozens of civilians seeking help were killed.
The GHF, which identifies as a private entity, denied that fatal incidents have occurred directly adjacent to its distribution zones.
Johnnie Moore, the group’s executive director and an evangelical pastor who previously served as an adviser in Trump’s first White House term, stated on X that the foundation has distributed over 46 million meals in Gaza since launching in May, reports RTE.
Several US officials had reservations about providing financial support to the GHF due to concerns about violence near its aid centres, the foundation’s lack of experience, and its ties to for-profit American military and logistics firms, four sources told Reuters earlier this week.
According to two sources, the US may approve additional monthly grants of $30 million for the GHF. All sources requested anonymity, reports RTE.
When approving the funding, sources said the State Department exempted the GHF—an organisation that hasn’t made its finances public—from the audit typically required for first-time USAID recipients.
There is now a severe shortage of food and essential items following nearly two years of Israeli military operations, which have displaced two million people in Gaza, reports RTE.
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