Netanyahu sets date for Rafah invasion

France’s foreign minister said that sanctions could be imposed on Israel to if it does not allow humanitarian aid into Gaza.

“There must be levers of influence and there are multiple levers, going up to sanctions, to let humanitarian aid cross check points,” Stephane Sejourne told RFI radio and France 24 television.

“France was one of the first countries to propose European Union sanctions on Israeli settlers who are committing acts of violence in the West Bank. We will continue if needed to obtain the opening of humanitarian aid,” he said.

Ms Sejourne’s comments come amid growing pressures on Israel from Western leaders to drastically increase levels of humanitarian aid entering the besieged territory. 

Turkey will restrict exports on a wide range of products to Israel until a ceasefire is declared in Gaza, the country’s trade ministry said.

“This decision will remain in place until Israel, under its obligations emanating from international law, urgently declares a ceasefire in Gaza and allows the unhindered flow of sufficient humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip,” the ministry said, adding that the measures would apply to 54 categories of products.

The announcement came after Israel rejected Ankara’s request to take part in an air-drop to transfer aid to Gaza, with the new measure set to take effect as of today.

Turkey has previously voiced opposition to Israel’s campaign in Gaza, calling for an immediate ceasefire, supporting steps to try Israel for genocide and sending tonnes of aid into the war-torn region. 

The trade restrictions mark Ankara’s first effort to impose financial sanctions on Israel for its actions.

Hamas representatives have said the militant group is considering a temporary peace deal with Israel.

The ceasefire arrangement, proposed by Qatari, Egyptian and US mediators during peace talks in Cairo, would halt fighting for six weeks to enable the exchange of hostages held by Hamas in return for Palestinian prisoners detained in Israel.

Saying it “appreciates” the mediators’ efforts, Hamas accused Israel of not responding to any of its demands in the talks.

“Despite this, the movement’s leadership is studying the submitted proposal,” the militant group said in a statement.

An Islamic Jihad spokesman has admitted that the militant group, rather than Israel, was responsible for a strike that damaged Gaza’s Al-Ahli Arab Hospital at the start of the war, reportedly killing dozens of people.

In an interrogation video released by the Israel Defence Force (IDF), Tarek Abu Shaluf, spokesman for the political wing of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad in Gaza, admitted that the strike on the hosptial was caused by “a local rocket. We said it was Israeli”. 

“To erase this story, the movement [Islamic Jihad] made some moves, it made up a story that the rocket belonged to the occupation [Israel] and that the target was the [hospital] building,” said Mr Abu Shaluf, who was among 500 militants captured by the IDF last month.

The strike in October last year was initially suspected to have been carried out by Israel, with the country accusing the BBC of “modern blood libel” for jumping to conclusions in its reporting. Israel later accused Islamic Jihad of firing rockets which fell short and hit the hospital.

The view that Israel has embarked on a doomed Achillean killing rage in Palestine has become received wisdom in Western polite society. This take is flawed but not surprising, with critics pointing to the sheer scale of civilian casualties in Gaza, writes Sherelle Jacobs. 

The plight of the Palestinians rattles the conscience of the West, a civilisation that for all its might is grappling with its own imperial legacy and is deeply imbued with a Judeo-Christian sympathy for downtrodden Davids faced with the wrath of Goliaths. The killing of British aid workers may point to a chilling breakdown in command and control within the Israeli army. 

But in a world of tremendous geopolitical stakes, it is vital to at least attempt ruthless clarity, putting aside all our emotional baggage and human revulsion towards the horror of war. The stone cold truth is that the West’s abrupt U-turn – at first vowing to lend “rock solid, unwavering support” to Israel and now threatening to withdraw support unless Jerusalem agrees to a ceasefire – has imperilled Israel’s mission to decapitate Hamas. 

Read Sherelle’s full column here.

Israel’s hard-Right national security minister has threatened to topple Benjamin Netanyahu if he fails to order a ground invasion of the city of Rafah in southern Gaza, writes Jotam Confino.

“If Netanyahu decides to end the war without an expansive assault in Rafah, he won’t have the mandate to serve as prime minister,” Itamar Ben-Gvir said on Monday.

The Israeli army withdrew its ground forces from southern Gaza on Sunday, prompting speculation that the ground operation in Rafah had either been called off or delayed.

An Israeli minister, speaking on condition of anonymity, told The Telegraph that he “100 per cent agrees” with Mr Ben-Gvir.

Read Jotam’s full report here.