Hamas members attacked Israeli soldiers in Rafah
In an interview with Jornal de Notícias , the Minister of Foreign Affairs addressed the conflict in the Middle East and argued that “the Trump plan is the only way” to a medium-term peace solution (to which Portugal has contributed greatly).
"We must support the Trump plan because it's the only way to reach a medium-term solution. Portugal contributed significantly to this. It played a discreet but effective role. One day I'll write about it; I can't say more now," Paulo Rangel added.
The minister took the opportunity to say that "the key is not to surround the flotillas." "We will facilitate what is extremely difficult to achieve: a consistent ceasefire that allows us to change the fate of those populations who are suffering so much there, facing a conflict without a solution for decades."
Rangel reiterates that Portugal is focused on supporting the US President's plan and the other countries that are "very committed" to moving forward with the agreement. "Israel also desperately needs our help. Let's all work together to achieve a ceasefire solution, to end the killings that Hamas continues to carry out, and to avoid Israeli reactions that could jeopardize this process."
The minister referred to Parliament any explanation regarding the passage of American F-35 fighter jets through Lajes Base , in the Azores, when they were heading to Israel.
Israeli authorities announced this Sunday that they had identified the remains of one of the two hostages handed over on Saturday by the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas. The Israeli army said it had "informed the family of hostage Ronen Engel" about the return of his remains to Israel, a statement confirmed in a statement from the prime minister's office.
In that statement, Israel reiterated that it would make “no compromise” and would spare no effort until all dead hostages held in the Gaza Strip were repatriated.
Ronen Engel, 54, a resident of Kibbutz Nir Oz (southern Gaza), was abducted from his home and killed on October 7, 2023, when Hamas commandos launched an unprecedented attack on Israeli territory, triggering the war in the Gaza Strip. His body was transported to the Gaza Strip, and his death was announced by Israel on December 1, 2023.
His wife, Karina, and their two daughters, Yuval and Mika, were also kidnapped on the same day, but were released during the first ceasefire agreement with Hamas in November 2023, after 52 days of captivity.
Hamas members attacked Israeli soldiers in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, the Times of Israel reported. The incident, which represents a new violation of the ceasefire, prompted the Israeli Defense Forces to launch airstrikes in the area.
The Israeli Ministry of Health confirmed this Sunday the arrival of the bodies of two hostages handed over by the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas to the Israeli National Center for Forensic Medicine to identify and investigate the cause of death.
"The teams, including forensic doctors and the laboratory team at the National Center for Forensic Medicine, are prepared to respond as quickly as possible, while maintaining the utmost confidentiality regarding the information shared with the families," said Israeli Health Ministry spokeswoman Shira Solomon.
The forensic center will meet with the hostages ' families to update them on the progress of the identification work. The Ministry of Health requested respect for the families' privacy. The Israeli army had previously confirmed that Hamas handed over the bodies of two Israeli hostages killed in Gaza to the International Committee of the Red Cross on Saturday, bringing the number of hostages whose remains have been returned to 12.
Happy Sunday, dear reader!
We're opening this article live to follow the latest on the conflict between Israel and Hamas. If you'd like, you can read all the news from yesterday's Gaza Strip in this liveblog (now closed).
Israel keeps Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt closed “until further notice”
observador
