A long-awaited ceasefire deal in Gaza is being delayed after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu blamed Hamas for a “last minute crisis” that’s led to the postponement of his Cabinet signing off on the deal. Hamas refuted Netanyahu’s claims the group had backtracked on any aspects of the draft agreement.
The deal, mediated by Qatar, Egypt and the U.S., was announced Wednesday, setting off celebrations throughout Gaza as Palestinians expressed joy, relief and deep sorrow over the past 15 months of attacks. This is 14-year-old Ahmed Al-Athamnah, who was displaced from his home in northern Gaza.
Ahmed Al-Athamnah: “Enough with what happened to us. Enough with martyrs who are gone. Enough. It’s enough. It is better to go back to our homes and sit in the rubble. This is better for us. It is easier for us, instead of having martyrs every day.”
Israel’s war on Gaza, which U.N. experts, legal analysts and many rights groups have concluded is a genocide, has killed at least 46,788 Palestinians since October 7, 2023, according to official counts. Another 110,000 Palestinians have been wounded. The true toll is expected to be far higher.