Hope for theUkraine and new mourning for Gaza. Today is a day with two faces. The whole world is waiting to see if there will really be a telephone conversation and what will be the outcome between the American President Donald Trump and the Russian one Vladimir Putin on the future of the war in Ukraine and the possibility of reaching a truce. In Gaza, on the other hand, they are Israel's raids resumed which yesterday caused more than 300 victims after Hamas refused to continue the hostage exchange.
Ukraine, Trump: "We are one step away from peace"
On the conversation with Putin the President Trump said he was particularly optimistic: “We want to see if we can end this war, we have a very good chance. We are a mile away from peace. We will talk with Putin about land and power plants. We have already discussed concessions a lot on both sides”. However, Putin does not seem to be willing to lower his guard and the EU is sceptical about the possibility of actually achieving peace. The conditions put forward by Moscow – said the EU representative for foreign policy, Kallas – “demonstrate that in reality the Russians do not want peace, because they present as conditions all the final objectives that they want to achieve with war”
Gaza, the truce is broken: new Israeli raids
It is of 330 dead and 300 injured, the tragic provisional toll of Israeli raids on Gaza that broke the truce after Hamas refused to release the last 59 hostages, dead or alive. Prime Minister Netanyahu claimed that Hamas has “rejected all offers”. “Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Minister Israel Katz have instructed the IDF to take forceful action against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, after the terrorist organization repeatedly refused to release our hostages and rejected all proposals received from US envoy Steve Witkoff and mediators,” Netanyahu’s office said. Fifty-nine Israeli kidnappers remain in captivity in Gaza, including 59 who are believed to be alive.
Hamas in turn said that the agreements provided for the passage to phase two and not other solutions. "Netanyahu and his Nazi government - Hamas attacked - are renewing the aggression and the war of extermination against defenseless civilians in the Gaza Strip” and by sabotaging the agreements “they have condemned the hostages to death”. Relatives of the hostages are furious with Netanyahu.
The first phase of the cease-fire had expired on March 2 and, until today, the two parties had not been able to agree on a second phase, also due to Israel's refusal to proceed with the talks, asking however for an extension of the first phase of the ceasefire. A proposal that had also been supported by the United States.
The internal controversy
The Forum of the family members of the hostages Israelis condemned the resumption of bombing on the Strip and accused the government of “having chose to give up the hostages”. The families called for negotiations on the ceasefire agreement. “The greatest fear of the families, hostages and Israeli citizens has come true: the Israeli government has chosen to give up the hostages. We are shocked, angry and terrified by the deliberate dismantling of the process to free our loved ones from the terrible captivity of Hamas,” the statement reads, cited by Haaretz.
Even the leader of the Israeli left, Yair Golan, harshly criticized the resumption of the war, accusing Netanyahu of using soldiers and hostages as pawns in "his survival game".
The US: “Whoever attacks Israel will pay”
"Whoever attacks Israel will pay dearly”, Trump infuriated, because “all hell will break loose”, he added.
“Hamas could have released the hostages to extend the ceasefire, instead he chose rejection and war”, White House National Security Council spokesman Brian Hughes told The Times of Israel, after Israel resumed air strikes in the Gaza Strip.
“As Trump has made clear, Hamas, the Houthis, Iran and all those who are trying to terrorize Israel and the United States will pay a price. All hell will break loose. All terrorists in the Middle East should take the president seriously when he says he is not afraid to defend the United States and our ally Israel,” White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt added.
