Gaza Truce Talks Stumble Over Withdrawal Terms
The indirect talks over a U.S. proposal for a 60-day ceasefire continued throughout Saturday, an Israeli official told Reuters, seven days since talks began. U.S. President Donald Trump has said he hoped for a breakthrough soon based on a new U.S.-backed ceasefire proposal.
In Gaza, medics said 17 people trying to get food aid were killed on Saturday when Israeli troops opened fire, the latest mass shooting around a U.S.-backed aid distribution system that the U.N. says has resulted in 800 people killed in six weeks.
Witnesses who spoke to Reuters described people being shot in the head and torso. Reuters saw several bodies of victims wrapped in white shrouds as family members wept at Nasser Hospital. The Israeli military said its troops had fired warning shots, but that its review of the incident had found no evidence of anyone hurt by its soldiers' fire.
Delegations from Israel and Hamas have been in Qatar pushing for an agreement which envisages a phased release of hostages, Israeli troop withdrawals and discussions on ending the war.
The Israeli official blamed the impasse on Hamas, which he said "remains stubborn, sticking to positions that do not allow the mediators to advance an agreement". Hamas has previously blamed Israeli demands for blocking a deal.
A Palestinian source said that Hamas had rejected withdrawal maps which Israel had proposed that would leave around 40% of Gaza under Israeli control, including all of the southern area of Rafah and further territories in northern and eastern Gaza.
Two Israeli sources said Hamas wanted Israel to retreat to lines it held in a previous ceasefire before it renewed its offensive in March.
The Palestinian source said aid issues and guarantees on an end to the war were also presenting a challenge. The crisis could be resolved with more U.S. intervention, the source said.
Hamas has long demanded an agreement to end the war before it would free remaining hostages; Israel has insisted it would end the fighting only when all hostages are released and Hamas is dismantled as a fighting force and administration in Gaza.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
MTV Lebanon
7 hours ago
- MTV Lebanon
13 Jul 2025 14:12 PM Macron urges European Union to firmly defend European interests
French President Emmanuel Macron expressed France's "deep dismay" on Saturday via "X" and called on the European Union to "firmly defend European interests" after Donald Trump threatened to impose 30 percent tariffs on European goods on August 1, according to Agence France-Presse. The French president called on the European Commission to "accelerate preparations for credible countermeasures, mobilizing all the tools at its disposal, if an agreement is not reached by August 1."
Ya Libnan
7 hours ago
- Ya Libnan
Israel- Syria talks advance in Azerbaijan. An agreement is reportedly nearing conclusion
By Amal Shehadeh What was once considered improbable now seems inevitable: an official agreement between Israel and Syria is reportedly nearing conclusion. The once-theoretical question of whether a deal could be struck has now shifted to when it will be signed. Unprecedented optimism is emerging from Israeli sources following the first round of talks held in Azerbaijan between high-level security delegations from both nations. The Israeli team, composed of senior military officers, intelligence officials, and representatives from the Prime Minister's office, sat across from a Syrian delegation led by key security figures. Discussions centered on a proposed Israeli withdrawal from areas of southern Syria that were occupied following the collapse of Bashar al-Assad's regime. These negotiations are seen as a precursor to a formal diplomatic meeting, expected to take place in Brussels, between Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar and his Syrian counterpart Asaad al-Shaibani. According to Israeli insiders familiar with the talks in Azerbaijan, a draft of a security agreement is already prepared. The Israeli side reportedly presented its vision for a phased withdrawal while insisting on the creation of a buffer zone starting from the 1974 disengagement line. The size and extent of this buffer zone remain under negotiation, with Israel citing security concerns and the need to prevent infiltration by hostile elements. The most significant component of the emerging agreement is reportedly the establishment of joint border security coordination between the two countries. Despite the breakthrough in negotiations, Israel has made clear that it will not relinquish the Golan Heights, which it captured in 1967. Instead, Israeli officials are said to be positioning the territory as a stabilizing asset in support of Syria's new leadership under President Ahmed al-Sharaa. Sources close to the talks suggest that much of the groundwork for the current progress was laid even before al-Sharaa assumed power in Damascus. According to reports, an understanding was reached among the key international stakeholders in Syria—including Russia, Turkey, the United States, and Israel—that the smooth transfer of power to al-Sharaa would be contingent upon his willingness to pursue an agreement with Israel. On the military front, separate meetings are believed to have taken place in recent months in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights between Israeli officers and Syrian officials. These back-channel discussions reportedly involved Ahmad al-Dallati, who is currently leading the Syrian delegation in Azerbaijan. ( LBC)
Ya Libnan
10 hours ago
- Ya Libnan
Iran's Fars revealed that Iranian president was injured in an Israeli strike last June
The Iranian Fars News Agency reported that 'officials, including Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, were injured in an Israeli attack on a National Security Council meeting on June 16,' noting that Pezeshkian sustained minor injuries to his foot while leaving the meeting. Fars News Agency also reported that 'the Israeli attack on the Iranian National Security Council meeting on June 16 was carried out in a manner similar to the assassination of former Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.' Nasrallah was assassinated last September . Iran's Quds Force leader reportedly revealed Nasrallah's location to Mossad. Hezbollah is the Lebanese arm of the Quds force , the foreign unit of the Revolutionary Guard (IRGC)
