- Hamas flew delegates from Qatar in ‘positive spirit’
Peace talks were underway last night in Cairo over a Gaza ceasefire deal that US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called “obvious” for Hamas.
Hamas said its delegation had arrived from Qatar in a “positive spirit” after studying the truce proposal, which would see an end to fighting and the return of the hostages to Israel.
“We are determined to reach an agreement in a way that meets the demands of the Palestinians,” said a statement from the Islamist militant group’s negotiators.
Plumes of smoke rise into the sky following Israeli bombardment in the central Gaza Strip
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken (pictured) called the peace deal a “no-brainer” for Hamas.
Palestinian children who fled the city of Rafah join the crowds to demonstrate for peace
The main question appears to be whether the ceasefire agreement would be permanent or temporary.
Taher Al-Nono, a Hamas official, said meetings with Egyptian and Qatari mediators had begun and that Hamas was treating their proposals “with the utmost seriousness.”
He reiterated the group’s demand that any deal should include Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza and an end to the war – conditions Israel had previously rejected.
An Israeli official said: “Israel will not, under any circumstances, agree to end the war as part of an agreement to free our hostages. »
The war began after Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, killing 1,200 people and taking 252 hostages.
More than 34,600 Palestinians were killed and more than 77,000 injured during the Israeli military operation, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.
There was some optimism that an agreement could be reached.
“Things look better this time, but the possibility of a deal will depend on the extent to which Israel has offered what it takes to make it happen,” a Palestinian official told Reuters.
Israel gave preliminary agreement to conditions that one source said included the return of 20 to 33 hostages in exchange for the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners and a suspension of fighting for a week.
That would leave around 100 hostages in Gaza, some of whom died in captivity, according to Israel.
The source told Reuters their return may require an additional deal with broader Israeli concessions.
“This could result in a de facto, if not formal, end to the war – unless Israel somehow takes them back by force or generates enough military pressure to make Hamas give in,” the source said.
Egyptian sources said CIA Director William Burns arrived in Cairo on Friday.
It has participated in previous truce negotiations, and Washington has signaled that progress could be made this time, with Blinken saying that “adopting the ceasefire should be a no-brainer” for Hamas.
Meanwhile, Cindy McCain, director of the United Nations World Food Program, said northern Gaza had fallen into a “widespread famine” that was heading south.
“It’s a horror,” she told NBC, adding that a ceasefire and greater flow of aid were sorely needed.
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