Its leaders Hamas held a second day of truce talks with Egyptian and Qatari mediators today, with no apparent progress as the Islamist group stuck to its demand that any deal end the war in Gauzeas stated by Palestinian officials.
A Palestinian official close to mediation efforts said the Hamas delegation arrived in Cairo determined to reach an agreement “but not at any price.”
“An agreement must end the war and provide for Israeli forces to withdraw from Gaza, and Israel has not yet committed that it is willing to do that,” the official told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Israel wants a deal that would provide for the release of at least some of the roughly 130 hostages held by Hamas, but an Israeli official on Saturday hinted that his central position had not changed, saying that Israel “under no circumstances ” is not going to reach an agreement that will end the war, which it continues with the aim of disarming and finally dismantling Hamas.
Another Palestinian official told Reuters that the negotiations “face challenges because the occupying power (Israel) refuses to commit to a comprehensive ceasefire”, but added that the Hamas delegation was still in Cairo in the hope that mediators they will be able to pressure Israel to change its position.
As the talks were underway, residents and medics said Israeli planes and tanks continued to pound areas throughout the Palestinian enclave overnight, killing and injuring scores of people.
The war began after Hamas stormed from the Gaza Strip into Israel on October 7, 2023 in which 1,200 people were killed and 252 taken hostage, according to Israeli accounts
The slaughter continues – Over 34,600 dead Palestinians
More than 34,600 Palestinians have been killed and at least another 77,000 injured so far in the Israeli offensive, according to Gaza’s health ministry. The shelling has destroyed most of the coastal enclave and caused a humanitarian crisis.
Qatar, where Hamas has a political office, and Egypt are trying to broker a continuation of a brief cease-fire in November, amid international frustration over the ever-growing death toll in Gaza and the plight of its 2.3 million its inhabitants.
Egyptian sources said CIA director William Burns, who has also been involved in previous truce talks, arrived in Qatar on Friday. Washington – which, like other Western powers and Israel, considers Hamas a terrorist organization – has called for a deal to be reached.
Israel has given a preliminary positive signal on terms that one source said include the return of 20 to 33 hostages in exchange for the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners and a truce of several weeks.
That would mean about 100 hostages would remain in Gaza, some of whom, according to Israel, died in captivity. The source, who asked not to be named or to be of nationality, told Reuters that their return may require an additional agreement.
Thousands of Israelis demonstrated on Saturday, demanding that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accept a ceasefire deal with Hamas that would see the remaining hostages return home.
Read also
Gaza: Talks in Cairo fruitless for now – New bombings, dozens dead in Rafah
Gaza: Student movement against Israel’s war spreads worldwide (Videos)
The lust of the center
Weather – Easter: Unsettled – Which areas will see local showers (Maps)
Work until 70 with starvation pensions – Dystopian future for insurance
#Cairo #Hamas #calls #agreement #war #Israel #strongly #opposed
