U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff to meet with Qatari prime minister in Spain over Gaza
According to the sources, the main aim is a discussion of making "workable" a new joint Egyptian-Qatari proposal on the return of the hostages held by Hamas in Gaza.
Two Arab officials told the Associated Press that the new ceasefire framework would include the release of all hostages — dead and live — all at once in return for the war's end and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.
Of the 251 hostages who were abducted by Hamas-led terrorists on Oct. 7, 2023, 50 remain, of which 20 are believed to be alive in Gaza. The rest were released or returned during previous temporary ceasefire deals.
A week ago, Witkoff visited an aid distribution site in southern Gaza that is privately run by the U.S. and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. He also met with the families of Israeli hostages in Tel Aviv.
During that meeting, Witkoff offered other ways to free the hostages and make Gaza safe, the Hostages of Missing Families Forum said.
"We will get your children home and hold Hamas responsible for any bad acts on their part. We will do what's right for the Gazan people," Witkoff said in the meeting, according to the Forum.
The meeting in Spain comes as there is growing international condemnation of Israel's decision for a military takeover of Gaza City, while little appears to have changed immediately on the ground.
On Friday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that Israel's Security Cabinet had approved a plan for the Israeli military to take over Gaza City.
In a statement, Netanyahu's office said the Israel Defense Forces would prepare to take over Gaza City while providing humanitarian aid to the civilian population outside of combat zones.
Israel's military chief of staff, Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, has reportedly warned that expanding operations would endanger the remaining living hostages held by Hamas and further strain Israel's army after nearly two years of regional wars.
On Saturday, a joint statement by nine countries, including Germany, Britain, France and Canada, said that they "strongly reject" Israel's decision for the large-scale military operation, saying it will worsen the "catastrophic humanitarian situation," endanger hostages and further risk mass displacement. They said any attempts at annexation or settlement in Gaza violate international law.
A separate statement by more than 20 countries, including ceasefire mediators Egypt and Qatar, along with Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates, called Israel's decision a "dangerous and unacceptable escalation." Meanwhile, Russia said Israel's plan will aggravate the "already extremely dramatic situation" in Gaza.
The U.N. Security Council planned an emergency meeting on Sunday. And Germany has said it won't authorize any exports of military equipment to Israel that could be used in Gaza until further notice.
Meanwhile, some families of hostages were rallying to pressure the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu amid new fears over the hostages.
"The living will be murdered and the fallen will be lost forever" if the offensive goes ahead, said Einav Zangauker, whose son Matan is held in Gaza.
She called on Israelis, including the powerful Histadrut labor union, to "help us save the hostages, the soldiers and the state of Israel" and appeared to call for a general strike: "Shut the country down."
Officials at Nasser and Awda hospitals said that Israeli forces killed at least 11 people seeking aid in southern and central Gaza. Some had been waiting for aid trucks, while others had been approaching aid distribution points.
Israel's military denied opening fire and said that it was unaware of the incidents. The military secures routes leading to distribution sites run by the Israeli-backed and U.S.-supported Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.
Two witnesses told the AP that Israeli troops fired toward crowds approaching a GHF distribution site on foot in the Netzarim corridor, a military zone that bisects Gaza. One witness, Ramadan Gaber, said that snipers and tanks fired on aid-seekers, forcing them to retreat.
Israel's military said that at least 106 packages of aid were airdropped Saturday as Italy and Greece joined the multicountry effort for the first time. Footage from Italy's defense ministry showed not only packages being parachuted over Gaza but the dry and devastated landscape below.
Israel alleges, without giving evidence, that Hamas systematically diverts aid from the existing U.N.-led system, which denies it. That system has called for more of the trucks waiting outside Gaza to be allowed not just into the territory, but safely to destinations inside it for distribution.
More than 61,300 Palestinians have died in the war, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry, which doesn't distinguish between fighters or civilians. The U.N. and independent experts consider it the most reliable source on war casualties.Margaret Brennan
contributed to this report.
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