Gaza talks for Israel, Hamas as Netanyahu meets Trump
The US president has said a deal could be reached this week.
Before departing for Washington on Sunday, Netanyahu that Israeli negotiators had been given clear instructions to achieve a ceasefire under conditions that Israel has accepted.
An Israeli official described the atmosphere at the Gaza talks, mediated by Qatar and Egypt, as positive.
Palestinian officials said initial meetings on Sunday had ended inconclusively.
A second Israeli official said the issue of humanitarian aid had been discussed in Qatar, without providing further details.
The truce talks have been revived following June's 12-day Israeli air war against its arch-foe Iran, which backs Hamas.
The US-backed proposal for a 60-day ceasefire envisages a phased release of hostages, Israeli troop withdrawals from parts of Gaza and discussions on ending the war entirely.
Ending the war has been the main sticking point in past rounds of talks, with Hamas demanding a full end to the conflict in return for releasing all hostages, and Israel insisting it would fight on until Hamas is dismantled.
Some of Netanyahu's hardline coalition partners oppose ending the fighting, but, with Israelis having become increasingly weary of the 21-month-old war, his government is expected to back a ceasefire.
The war was triggered on October 7, 2023, when Hamas attacked southern Israel, killing about 1200 people and taking 251 hostages.
About 20 of the remaining 50 hostages in Gaza are believed to be still alive.
Israel's retaliatory military campaign against Hamas has killed more than 57,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza's health authorities, led to a hunger crisis, displaced nearly all the population and left most of the territory in ruins.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Canberra Times
36 minutes ago
- Canberra Times
Gaza truce talks reportedly faltering over withdrawal
A Palestinian source said Hamas has rejected the withdrawal maps Israel has proposed, as they would leave about 40 per cent of the territory under Israeli control including all of the southern area of Rafah and further territories in northern and eastern Gaza.
Perth Now
36 minutes ago
- Perth Now
Gaza truce talks reportedly faltering over withdrawal
Talks aimed at securing a ceasefire in Gaza are stalling over the extent of Israeli forces' withdrawal from the Palestinian enclave, Palestinian and Israeli sources familiar with the negotiations in Doha say. The indirect talks over a US proposal for a 60-day ceasefire are nonetheless expected to continue, the sources said, despite the latest obstacles in clinching a deal. A Palestinian source said Hamas has rejected the withdrawal maps Israel has proposed, as they would leave about 40 per cent of the territory under Israeli control including all of the southern area of Rafah and further territories in northern and eastern Gaza. Two Israeli sources said Hamas wants Israel to retreat to lines it held in a previous ceasefire before it renewed its offensive in March. The Palestinian source said matters regarding aid and guarantees for ending the war were also presenting a challenge, and added that the crisis might be resolved with more US intervention. The White House said on Monday Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff, who played a major role in crafting the latest ceasefire proposal, would travel to Doha this week to join discussions. Delegations from Israel and Hamas have been in Qatar since Sunday in a renewed push for an agreement which envisages a phased release of hostages, Israeli troop withdrawals and discussions on ending the war entirely. Hamas has long demanded an end to the war before it would free remaining hostages; Israel has insisted it would end the fighting only when all hostages were released and Hamas was dismantled. The war began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas-led militants stormed into Israel, killing about 1200 people and taking 251 hostages into Gaza. At least 20 of the remaining 50 hostages are believed to still be alive. Israel's subsequent campaign against Hamas has since killed more than 57,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health authorities, displaced almost the entire population of more than two million people, sparked a humanitarian crisis and left much of the territory in ruins.
The Age
an hour ago
- The Age
In relation to the war in Gaza, inaction is consent
To submit a letter to The Age, email letters@ Please include your home address and telephone number. No attachments, please include your letter in the body of the email. See here for our rules and tips on getting your letter published. Inaction is consent On reading the article on East Jerusalem ' There's nothing the world can do about it ' (12/7) I couldn't stop thinking about the words of the man who watched his home be flattened: 'They are trying to break people, they want us to be nothing.' It stayed with me, not just because of its heartbreak, but of how those words contrasted with the voices of those working to make that outcome a reality. Australian-Israeli settler Daniel Luria, who proudly leads Ateret Cohanim's efforts to evict Palestinians and 'reclaim' homes, denies that Palestinians even exist as a people. They are 'illegal squatters'; he praises the use of courts to transfer land, and describes his mission as one of national rebirth. This is a slow-motion war, and it is being waged with bulldozers and land deeds instead of bombs. Australia recognises these settlements as illegal. So why is our outrage so well-mannered? I don't know what the world will do. But I know inaction is a form of consent. Fernanda Trecenti, Fitzroy Treading carefully Our leaders will have to tread carefully in considering any implementation of the points raised in Jillian Segal's antisemitism plan (Editorial, 12/7). The risk here is that a misjudged implementation of such strong measures carries a strong risk of hindering rather than enhancing our quest for continued cultural unity and understanding, which is one of the successful hallmarks of Australian society. Perhaps most difficult of all will be our achieving a better national understanding of the appallingly tragic Gazan situation beginning with an acceptance of the fact that it is this which in large measure lies at the heart of our destabilising antisemitism and Islamophobia. What is needed now is a better understanding of extremism and moderation on all sides in the Middle East – and the problematic role of the West in the Middle East so ably written about by highly regarded British journalist, the late Robert Fisk. So, we must tread carefully here, favouring educative understanding over punitive coercion lest the cure prove to be as bad – or worse – than the complaint. Terry Hewton, Henley Beach South, SA Violence no answer The treatment of non-Jewish residents in East Jerusalem is one ongoing issue within an intractable problem of history, religion and politics. Leaders of Israel and many other countries, plus organisations like Hamas and the PLO, have not done all they could to reach a compromise solution. Jerusalem, a Holy City for Jews, Muslims and Christians, should be under international governance, protecting access for all. A vote on this special status for Jerusalem, was passed by the United Nations General Assembly in 1947, within a two-state solution. It might not be accepted by the extremists on either side, but there is no realistic alternative. Neither side can ″win″ this forever war with more violence. John Hughes, Mentone Gift status at risk Special Envoy to Combat Antisemitism Jillian Segal has recommended to the government that deductible gift status should be removed from charitable organisations that promote antisemitism. Amnesty International Medecins Sans Frontieres, and Human Rights Watch have all published lengthy reports finding that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza. Given Segal's adoption of the IHRA definition of antisemitism that conflates criticism of Israel with antisemitism, the deductible gift status of these independent organisations would be at risk if the government adopted Segal's recommendation.
