Skip to main content

Gaza war enters 500th day as ceasefire talks to continue

Gaza war enters 500th day as ceasefire talks to continue
MENA
10 min read
17 February, 2025
An Israeli airstrike on Rafah killed three policemen attempting to secure aid deliveries into the enclave on Sunday, amid fears for the ceasefire.

Israel's war on Gaza has entered its 500th day as negotiators attempt to extend the ceasefire in the enclave following its near collapse last week.

A Palestinian man died of his wounds incurred after an Israeli air attack in Gaza, according to Palestinian news agency WAFA. It comes after an Israeli airstrike killed three policemen in Rafah who were securing aid. Hamas called the attack a violation of the ceasefire.

Amid the tension over the ceasefire in Gaza, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived in Saudi Arabia following his visit to Israel on the weekend which saw him and Netanyahu issue threats to Hamas and Iran and double down on Trump's Gaza displacement plan.

Rubio is expected to continue dialogue with Saudi Arabia over Trump's plan, which has been rejected across the region. Talks over phase two of Gaza's ceasefire are expected to go ahead, with Israel's security cabinet to convene on Monday to discuss the topic.

Meanwhile, in the occupied West Bank, reports have emerged that Israel is advancing plans to construct 1,000 settler homes around Bethlehem. Its assault on the territory, which has largely focused on the northern West Bank, is also continuing.