Introduction: Hamas-Israel
According to Israeli media sources, Israel’s defense council decided on Saturday to send a delegation to Qatar to carry on the negotiations.
According to state-affiliated Egyptian media on Sunday, talks for a truce in Gaza have recommenced in Doha between “experts from Egypt, Qatar, the United States and Israel” and members of Hamas.
A delegation from Israel, headed by Mossad chief David Barnea, was in Paris on Friday to explore the possibility of reaching an agreement that would guarantee a new ceasefire and the release of hostages in Gaza held by Hamas in return for Israeli-held Palestinian inmates.
According to Israeli media sources, Israel’s defense council decided on Saturday to send a delegation to Qatar to carry on the negotiations.
The discussions “will be followed by meetings in Cairo” and are a “continuation of what was discussed in Paris,” according to Al-Qahera News, a publication connected to Egyptian state intelligence agencies.
About 250 Palestinian captives were taken by Palestinian militants during the historic October 7 Hamas raid on Israel; 130 of them are still in Gaza, including 30 who are thought to be dead, according to Israel.
Similar to a previous week-long ceasefire in November that resulted in the release of 240 Palestinian inmates and the release of over 100 hostages, efforts to broker a new agreement have been led by Qatar, Egypt, and the US.
As the dead toll from Israel’s military attack on Palestinian territory approaches 30,000, the majority of the victims have been women and children, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, international demand for a ceasefire has increased in recent weeks.
In reaction to Hamas’s catastrophic October 7 onslaught, which claimed 1,160 lives, the majority of them civilians, Israel has threatened to destroy the organization, which administers Gaza. An AFP count of official Israeli data supports this claim.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has called Hamas’ demands for a truce and Israel’s exit from Gaza “delusional” and has vowed to push further into the region.
Concerns have grown regarding Israeli intentions to launch a ground assault into Rafah, the southernmost city of Gaza, where 1.4 million Palestinians have been forced into large-scale tent settlements close to the Egyptian border.
The hope expressed by US, Arab, and international mediators is that an agreement can be struck before the Muslim holy month of Ramadan begins on March 10 or 11, depending on the lunar calendar.