The Israeli occupation army continues its operations in the Gaza Strip as ceasefire negotiations remain at an impasse, prompting growing international pressure on Tel Aviv to halt the offensive and allow humanitarian aid into the besieged territory. The war in Gaza shows no signs of de-escalation. Israeli officials have indicated that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is weighing the withdrawal of Israel's negotiating delegation from Doha if indirect talks with Hamas, mediated by third parties, fail to yield progress. According to Israel's public broadcaster KAN, a small team may remain to keep the dialogue open. Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani warned on Tuesday that "the catastrophe continues in Gaza, and every opportunity for de-escalation is unfortunately being thwarted." He added that Israel's military actions are "undermining every possible chance for peace." Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron and the prime ministers of the United Kingdom and Canada issued a joint statement Monday condemning the ongoing Israeli assault. They described the humanitarian crisis as "intolerable" and cautioned that their countries would not "stand idly by." The leaders expressed readiness to take "concrete measures" should Israel fail to end its campaign and reaffirmed their support for recognizing a Palestinian state within a two-state framework. The statement precedes a scheduled United Nations conference in June aimed at building global consensus on that vision. Prime Minister Netanyahu responded by accusing the three nations of "rewarding" Hamas, stating that such calls amounted to "a grand prize" for those behind the October 7th attack, according to a post on X (formerly Twitter). In a significant development, US Vice President J.D. Vance canceled a planned visit to Israel on Tuesday. While officially citing "logistical reasons," a senior US official told Axios that Vance was concerned the visit might be perceived as an endorsement of Israel's expanded military operations. The move reflects Washington's increasingly nuanced stance as it continues to press for a ceasefire and hostage exchange agreement. Israel Hayom reported growing tension between Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump, noting that Trump's patience is "wearing thin," though the core US policy of supporting Israel remains unchanged. On the ground, the humanitarian toll continues to climb. Gaza's Health Ministry reported on Tuesday that 87 people were killed and 290 injured in the past 24 hours. Since the conflict began on October 7, 2023, the total number of casualties has reached 53,573 dead and 121,688 wounded. After 78 days of closure, Israel partially reopened the Kerem Shalom border crossing on Monday, allowing a limited number of aid trucks to enter Gaza. Observers described the move as largely symbolic, stressing that it falls dramatically short of the enclave's needs. Prices for essential goods have reportedly surged by more than 800%. At a press briefing in Geneva, UN humanitarian affairs spokesperson Jens Laerke confirmed that Israel approved the entry of about 100 aid trucks on Tuesday. "We asked for approval of more trucks today and got it," he said. On Monday, only nine trucks were cleared, and just five ultimately reached Gaza. UNRWA's Director of Health, Akihiro Seita, warned of rising malnutrition rates, especially among children, adding that the food shortage risks triggering "a steadily worsening situation that spirals out of control." Seita said data from late April shows a marked increase in malnutrition across Gaza. In Europe, EU foreign ministers met in Brussels on Tuesday to consider imposing sanctions on Israel. Several ministers called for a review of the EU-Israel Association Agreement, which has governed trade and economic relations for over 25 years. The European Union remains Israel's largest trading partner. The talks come amid mounting European criticism of Israel's continued offensive in Rafah and southern Gaza, particularly in light of UN reports documenting a surge in civilian casualties and deteriorating access to food, water, and medical aid.
