Politics Israel: Hamas fires rocket despite agreement - dead in Gaza
Shortly before the planned release of another three hostages, the Islamist Hamas in the Gaza Strip fired a rocket for the first time since the ceasefire began, according to Israeli reports.
14.02.2025, 05:27
SDA
The missile fell inside the sealed-off coastal area. According to hospital reports, a 14-year-old boy was killed in the Nuseirat refugee district in the center of the Gaza Strip. According to an Israeli army spokesman, this was a clear violation of the ceasefire agreement. The agreement came into force on January 19.
Israel also accused the Hamas-allied Hezbollah militia in Lebanon of violating the ceasefire that was also in force there. According to Israel's army, fighter jets bombed Hezbollah facilities for storing weapons and launchers in the evening. Meanwhile, supporters of the Shiite militia blocked roads in the capital Beirut in the direction of the airport with burning tires. According to local media, they were protesting against the fact that a civilian airplane from Iran had been refused permission to land.
Unrest in Lebanon
A post by Israeli army spokesman Avichay Adraee had previously caused unrest in Lebanon. On Platform X, he claimed that Iranian-backed Hezbollah and the Iranian Revolutionary Guards were using civilian flights to Beirut to smuggle money to rearm the Shia militia. He did not provide any evidence. The ceasefire agreed between Israel and Lebanon at the end of November has been extended until February 18. However, like the ceasefire in Gaza, it is on shaky ground.
Ahead of the security conference starting today in Munich, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio called on the Arab states to make their own proposals regarding the future of the war-torn Gaza Strip. "They don't like it, but the only plan" at the moment is that of US President Donald Trump, Rubio said on a US radio program. This plan envisages the permanent resettlement of the approximately two million inhabitants of Gaza to Arab states.
Rubio calls on Arab countries to act
The Arab countries said how much they cared about the Palestinians, but none of them wanted to take in Palestinians, none of them had done anything for Gaza in the past, Rubio said, according to a transcript of his appearance on the radio show of conservative hosts Clay Travis and Buck Sexton published by his ministry. Countries will be given time to work out their own plan, he said. However, Hamas should no longer play a role in Gaza "because Israel will not tolerate it," Rubio said.
Hamas has weapons. "Someone has to stand up to these people. Who will that be? It's not going to be American soldiers," said the US Secretary of State. "If the countries in the region are not able to do the job, then Israel has to do it, and then we're back to where we were before. So that doesn't solve the problem," Rubio said. He planned to visit Israel, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates after the Munich Security Conference from Saturday through Feb. 18.
"Hopefully they'll have a really good plan to present to the president," Rubio said. Trump had caused unrest with his plan to turn Gaza into a "Middle East Riviera" under US control. He and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also issued an ultimatum to Hamas this week to force the release of the remaining hostages. Trump threatened that "all hell would break loose" if they were not released as agreed.
Hamas pledges to release further hostages
Hamas had accused Israel of not adhering to the agreements and initially postponed the release of the next group of hostages, scheduled for tomorrow, indefinitely. Israel rejected this and threatened to resume the war. But then the terrorist organization relented after mediation talks in Egypt. They wanted to release hostages on Saturday after all. However, there was initially no confirmation of an agreement from the Israeli side. According to the agreement, three Israeli hostages are to be released tomorrow in exchange for Palestinian prisoners.
