In a continuation of the Israel-Hamas conflict, Israel launched significant airstrikes on Gaza as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu firmly rejected calls for a ceasefire. The ongoing crisis has attracted international attention and diplomatic efforts to end the violence.
Foreign ministers from Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, and the United Arab Emirates met with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Amman, Jordan on Saturday. During the meeting, they urged Blinken to persuade Israel to agree to a ceasefire in the region.
Netanyahu’s position remains steadfast, as he insists on the return of over 240 hostages captured by the Palestinian group Hamas during its attacks on October 7. Speaking from the Ramon air force base in southern Israel, he stated, “There will be no ceasefire without the return of the hostages. This should be completely removed from the lexicon. We say this to our friends and to our enemies. We will simply continue until we defeat them. We have no alternative.”
Meanwhile, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called for an immediate ceasefire during his meeting with Blinken in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Blinken, on his second visit to the region in less than a month, is part of U.S. efforts to prevent the Israel-Hamas conflict from escalating. He has rejected the idea of a comprehensive ceasefire, citing concerns that it could allow Hamas to regroup. Instead, Blinken is working to persuade Israel to consider location-specific pauses that would facilitate the distribution of much-needed humanitarian aid in Gaza.
Gaza health officials reported that more than 9,770 Palestinians have been killed since the conflict began on October 7 when Hamas launched a surprise attack on southern Israel, resulting in the deaths of 1,400 people and the capture of over 240 hostages. The situation continues to evolve, with international diplomatic efforts at the forefront in seeking a resolution to the crisis.
Si Venus L Peñaflor ay naging editor-in-chief ng Newsworld, isang lokal na pahayagan ng Laguna. Publisher din siya ng Daystar Gazette at Tutubi News Magazine. Siya ay isa ring pintor at doll face designer ng Ninay Dolls, ang unang Manikang Pilipino. Kasali siya sa DesignCrowd sa rank na #305 sa 640,000 graphic designers sa buong daigdig. Kasama din siya sa unang Local TV Broadcast sa Laguna na Beyond Manila. Aktibong kasapi siya ng San Pablo Jaycees Senate bilang isang JCI Senator.
