On December 25, traditionally celebrated as Christmas in the West, Israel did not cease its attacks on the Gaza Strip and the West Bank of the Jordan River, despite the biblical account of Jesus's birth in Bethlehem, located in the Palestinian West Bank. The Gaza Strip endured one of the deadliest airstrikes of the current Israel-Palestine conflict, while the Jenin refugee camp in the West Bank was raided by Israeli forces. Due to the ongoing conflict, Bethlehem authorities canceled this year's Christmas celebrations.
Amidst the ongoing conflict, Egypt has proposed a peace agreement to all parties involved. The comprehensive ceasefire agreement is divided into three phases but does not meet Israel's demand for the elimination of Hamas nor proposes Israeli control over the Gaza Strip.
On Christmas Day, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu outlined three preconditions for ending the hostilities in an article published in American media.
Christmas Day Unrest
According to Al Jazeera, the Palestinian Ministry of Health reported that from Christmas Eve to the early hours of Christmas Day, Israel conducted intense airstrikes on the central Gaza Strip's Maghazi and Bureij refugee camps and the southern city of Khan Younis. These airstrikes resulted in over 100 deaths, marking one of the deadliest for the Gaza Strip.
The Palestinian Ministry of Health spokesperson, Ashraf al-Qudra, warned that the death toll in the Maghazi refugee camp is expected to rise and condemned Israel's "massacre" of Palestinian civilians.
In the southern Gaza Strip, conflicts between Hamas-controlled police and civilians scrambling for aid resulted in the death of a 13-year-old boy, sparking rare local protests accusing Hamas of firing at the boy.
In the West Bank, Israeli forces raided multiple locations, including the Jenin refugee camp, Nablus, and Jericho. Dozens were arrested, and a 17-year-old was shot in the neck.
Bethlehem, usually a hub for tourists from around the world during Christmas, canceled all Christmas celebrations this year to mourn the victims of the Israel-Palestine conflict. Bethlehem was occupied by Israel during the Third Middle East War and returned to the Palestinian National Authority in 1995. In 2002, conflicts between Israeli forces and Palestinian militants in Bethlehem led to Israeli control over the Church of the Nativity. Currently, Bethlehem is surrounded by Jewish settlements.
Local pastor Munther Isaac from Bethlehem stated that if Jesus were born now, it would be under the rubble in Gaza. Pope Francis also called for a ceasefire in Gaza during his Christmas address, urging humanitarian aid for civilians.
The death toll in the Gaza Strip has exceeded 20,000, accounting for 1% of Gaza's total population, with the majority being women and children.
Egypt's Proposal
Egyptian officials revealed on Monday that Egypt has submitted a peace proposal to Israel, Hamas, the United States, and European countries. The proposal not only involves a ceasefire but also outlines how to manage the Gaza Strip in the future, making it the most comprehensive ceasefire agreement for Gaza to date.
The proposal is divided into three phases. The first phase involves a ceasefire of about ten days between Israel and Hamas, with Hamas releasing all civilian hostages in exchange for Israel freeing 140 Palestinian prisoners. During this phase, Israel will withdraw its troops from residential areas in Gaza, allow free movement within Gaza, and permit more humanitarian aid into the region.
In the second and third phases, Egypt and Qatar will collaborate with all Palestinian political groups, including Hamas and the Palestinian National Authority, to establish a government composed of professionals. This government will manage Gaza and the West Bank during a transitional period, while Palestinian political groups prepare for presidential and parliamentary elections.
Simultaneously, Hamas will discuss a comprehensive agreement with Israel. Hamas will release all hostages in exchange for Israel freeing all Palestinian prisoners; Hamas will cease rocket attacks on Israel, and Israel will withdraw its troops from Gaza.
In Israel, the government faces significant pressure over the hostage issue. Since November, Hamas has released 108 hostages, with 129 still in Gaza, 22 of whom have died.
Mid-December, Israeli soldiers shot and killed three released hostages, causing uproar within Israel. Protests erupted in Tel Aviv, blocking main roads and demanding the immediate rescue of all hostages.
While Egypt's proposal addresses the hostage issue, it does not meet Israel's demand for the destruction of Hamas and proposes joint control of Gaza by Hamas and the Palestinian National Authority, both of which are red lines for Israel. Israel has repeatedly stated that one of the objectives of its military operation in Gaza is the elimination of Hamas.
On Christmas Day, "The Wall Street Journal" published an article by Netanyahu titled "Three Prerequisites for Peace." Netanyahu stated that the first condition for a complete ceasefire in Gaza is the destruction of Hamas.
The second condition is the demilitarization of the Gaza Strip, ensuring it's not used as a launchpad for attacks against Israel. This implies establishing security zones and checkpoints at the Gaza-Egypt border to prevent weapons from entering Gaza.
Netanyahu believes that allowing the Palestinian National Authority to manage Gaza won't achieve demilitarization. He wrote, "In the foreseeable future, Israel will retain control of security responsibilities in Gaza." However, the U.S. opposes Israel's reoccupation of Gaza and calls for the Palestinian National Authority to take over.
The third condition is the deradicalization of the Gaza Strip. Netanyahu argues that Palestinian society needs to change to support fighting terrorism instead of funding it. He cites the post-World War II deradicalization of Germany and Japan as proof that it can be successful.
However, Netanyahu's proposed deradicalization is the most challenging condition to achieve. Israel's indiscriminate attacks in Gaza have provided ammunition for terrorist organizations like Al-Qaeda and ISIS, both of which have called for increased attacks on Israel and its allies.
During Christmas, several European countries, including France, Germany, the Netherlands, and Belgium, heightened security in densely populated areas. Ylva Johansson, the European Commissioner for Home Affairs, warned that due to the Israel-Palestine conflict and the resulting polarization among populations, EU countries face significant security risks during the Christmas period.
