- Ceasefire talks with Hamas stall
- Demands include Israeli withdrawal
- Casualties rise, humanitarian crisis deepens
A breakthrough has not been reached after three days of negotiations with Hamas regarding a ceasefire in Gaza, less than a week before the commencement of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan – the informal deadline for an agreement.
Weeks have passed as the United States, Qatar, and Egypt attempt to broker an agreement between Hamas and Israel that would swap the release of Israeli captives for a six-week ceasefire, additional assistance to Gaza, and the release of some Palestinian prisoners.
The most recent round of negotiations in Cairo, Egypt, “came to a halt” and the future was uncertain.
She reported from occupied East Jerusalem and stated, “The Israelis say they are awaiting Hamas’s response, while Hamas says they are awaiting Israel’s response.”
“Mediators in the middle are attempting to bridge these divides to find a solution between the parties involved, but it appears that there are unresolvable sticking points.”
Without Israel ceasing its offensive, withdrawing from Gaza, and releasing a significant number of Palestinian prisoners, including combatants serving life sentences, Hamas has refused to release the remaining 30 of the estimated 100 hostages it currently holds.
Osama Hamdan, a senior Hamas official, stated on Tuesday that his organization desires a “complete withdrawal” of Israeli forces and a perpetual ceasefire, as opposed to a six-week pause.
Hamdan told reporters in Beirut, “Only through a permanent ceasefire, the cessation of aggression, and the complete withdrawal from every inch of the Gaza Strip can the security and safety of our people be restored.”
These demands have been categorically rejected by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has also vowed to continue the conflict until Hamas is deposed and all captives are returned. An Israeli delegation was absent from the most recent round of negotiations.
In the interim, Israel demands that Hamas provide a list of the living captives and the prisoner-to-captive ratio that it demands in exchange for a release agreement.
On Monday, senior Hamas leader Bassem Naim stated to the AFP news agency that the organization was unsure “of the survival or demise of those among [the captives] due to hunger or strikes” and that the captives were being held captive by multiple factions in various locations.
Divergent Paths in Gaza Ceasefire Talks
Salhut stated, “Therefore, there are two entirely distinct viewpoints and two distinct sticking points regarding what the opposing side is unwilling to concede.”
Tuesday during the US-Qatar Strategic Dialogue, Secretary of State Antony Blinken of the United States urged Hamas to approve the ceasefire plan.
Hamas must decide whether or not it is willing to participate in that ceasefire,” the highest-ranking US diplomat stated during a meeting with Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani in Washington, D.C.
Al Thani, who was positioned adjacent to Blinken, stated, “Qatar, the United States, and our allies will consistently exert effort to ensure that this agreement is sealed.”
Hamas has presented a proposal that mediators will debate with Israel in the coming days, two Egyptian officials told The Associated Press news agency, following the conclusion of the most recent round of negotiations.
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Oct. 7 saw Hamas-led assaults in southern Israel that claimed the lives of at least 1,139 individuals and captured approximately 250 others. In November, over a hundred captives were liberated through a week-long armistice.
Israel’s retaliatory offensive against Gaza has claimed the lives of over 30,000 individuals, the majority of whom are children and women, according to the Health Ministry of Gaza.
Much of Gaza has been reduced to ruins as a result of the fighting, which has raged for nearly five months. A humanitarian calamity is escalating, with many people, particularly in the devastated northern region, desperately seeking food to survive.
