According to CENTCOM, Admiral Brad Cooper, who is in charge of U.S. Central Command, made an urgent request this week for Hamas to stop attacking Palestinian civilians in Gaza and put down its weapons as part of President Trump’s peace proposal. Cooper stated, “We’ve told the mediators how worried we are.” He also said they committed to help “keep the peace and protect innocent people in Gaza.”
Since the cease-fire went into force late last week, reports from Gaza have been bad. According to Reuters, Hamas has executed at least 33 people in a wide-ranging operation that it says is aimed at criminal gangs that are testing its power.
A video that went around on Monday seems to show masked gunmen ordering at least seven individuals to kneel in a roadway in Gaza City before shooting them. Reuters reported it couldn’t confirm right away when or where the video was shot.
Trump stated on Tuesday that he expects Hamas to give up its weapons as the deal says it should, or else the U.S. will take action. “They’re going to give up their weapons because they said they would,” he claimed. “And if they don’t give up their weapons, we will.” He later made it clear that he hadn’t talked to Hamas directly and that the message was sent “through my people, at the highest levels.” “They know I’m not playing games,” he told Reuters.
The cease-fire has entered a difficult stage: getting the dead back and healing. According to Reuters, Israel says Hamas hasn’t delivered all of the hostages’ remains as promised and has delayed certain aid because of the poor pace of the transfers.
The International Committee of the Red Cross said that finding and identifying victims in the ruins of Gaza was “a huge challenge” that may take days or weeks.
As mediators pushed both sides to keep their promises, supply convoys started moving again on Wednesday. Israeli officials kept working slowly to figure out who the returning remains belonged to.
Cooper saw the opportunity as a small opening. He suggested that if Hamas stops fighting and gives up its weapons, it might be a once-in-a-lifetime chance for a lasting peace. In the following several days, we’ll see if that hope stays strong.
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