U.S. President: Hamas Does Not Want to Reach a Ceasefire in Gaza

SadaNews - U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Friday that Hamas does not want to reach an agreement regarding a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of prisoners, according to Reuters. This statement was made to journalists at the White House a day after Trump's Middle East peace envoy, Steve Weitzman, announced that the U.S. administration decided to recall its negotiating team for consultations following Hamas's latest proposals. On the ground, the Israeli army radio reported that the Israeli government will allow aerial drops of aid to the Gaza Strip starting Friday. According to Israeli media, foreign countries, including Arab nations, will be allowed to drop aid aerially into the sector. Israeli media claimed that Tel Aviv resorted to this after the United Nations rejected the entry of aid that accumulated at the crossings through U.S. distribution points. An Israeli security source stated that this step was taken with political level approval, indicating that Jordan and the UAE are the first two countries to do so. This comes while a senior Israeli official revealed that talks took place late last week with three countries in the region to discuss the possibility of conducting aerial drops of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip. The official explained to Fox News that one of these countries "actually intends to proceed with the aerial drops," noting that these discussions began about three weeks ago. The Israeli official's statement came in response to a question about alternatives proposed for delivering humanitarian aid to Palestinian civilians suffering from a severe shortage of food and basic supplies. The international relief organization Oxfam revealed on Thursday that the rate of waterborne diseases in the Gaza Strip is experiencing a dangerous rise that could turn into a "fatal disaster." It clarified in a statement that Israel's prevention of humanitarian aid access to Gaza has led to an increase in epidemics by rates ranging from 101% to 302% in the past three months. The organization added that statistics for waterborne epidemics, such as acute jaundice and watery and bloody diarrhea, increased by 101%, 150%, and 302%, respectively. It confirmed that these diseases can quickly become fatal due to hunger, difficulty accessing clean water, lack of shelter, and healthcare. Oxfam reminded that Israel has imposed a comprehensive blockade on Gaza since March 2, and that international relief organizations in Gaza have no humanitarian aid left in their warehouses. It pointed out that these figures, despite their severity, do not reflect the true magnitude of the crisis, as most of the two million Palestinians in the sector do not have access to the few health facilities that are still operational. The organization warned that this outbreak of diseases could quickly turn into a "fatal disaster," especially since the Palestinians in Gaza have been deprived of sufficient food, clean water, shelter, and basic healthcare for over 21 months. Meanwhile, the Gaza Ministry of Health launched an urgent humanitarian appeal, calling on the international community, its institutions, and humanitarian organizations to intervene immediately to stop the war, save the collapsed healthcare system, and improve living conditions. The Gaza Strip is experiencing one of the worst humanitarian crises in its history, where severe famine is intertwined with the ongoing war with Israel since October 7, 2023. For its part, hospitals in Gaza are suffering from severe shortages of medicine and supplies, with a nearly complete collapse of their diagnostic and treatment capabilities.