The IDF “enforced” the Gaza ceasefire yesterday by violating it with a series of strikes that killed more than 30 people in different parts of the strip, from Khan Younis to Gaza City, reported AP. The strikes were supposedly in response to alleged Hamas violations.
The strikes were broadly condemned. The foreign ministers of Qatar, Egypt, Jordan, the UAE, Indonesia, Pakistan, Turkiye, and Saudi Arabia released a statement condemning the attack and “Israel’s repeated violations of the ceasefire in Gaza which have resulted in the killing, and injuring of more than a thousand Palestinians.” These actions harm the ongoing peace process, it says, and demands Israel make a “full commitment” to President Trump’s peace plan.
On Feb. 1, the Rafah border crossing with Egypt was reopened “for tests” said Israel’s Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories. “The movement of residents in both directions, entry and exit to and from Gaza, is expected to begin tomorrow,” COGAT said. However, there is a catch. Reuters previously reported that Israel wants to restrict the number of Palestinians entering Gaza through Egypt to ensure that more are allowed out than in. Egypt has not agreed to that. A source familiar with the matter said the crossing would open despite ongoing discussions between Egypt and Israel over the issue, saying that Israel wants to allow around 150 people to come back per day.
