Hamas, Israel resume talks as Netanyahu set to meet Trump - War on Gaza

Al-Ahram Weekly

8 hours ago

Hamas and Israel were resuming talks in Qatar on Monday, a Palestinian official said, as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu travelled to Washington to meet President Donald Trump, who has pushed for a "deal this week" between the foes.
The latest round of negotiations on the war in Gaza began on Sunday in Doha, aiming to broker a ceasefire and reach an agreement on the release of captives in exchange for Palestinian prisoners.
"Indirect negotiations are scheduled to take place before noon today in Doha between the Hamas and Israeli delegations to continue discussions" on the proposal, a Palestinian official familiar with the negotiations told AFP.
Ahead of Netanyahu's third visit since Trump's return to office this year, the US president said there was a "good chance" of reaching an agreement.
"We've gotten a lot of the hostages out, but about the remaining hostages, quite a few of them will be coming out," he told journalists.
Netanyahu, speaking before heading to Washington, said his meeting with Trump could "definitely help advance this" deal.
The US president is pushing for a truce in the Gaza Strip, which has been plunged into a humanitarian crisis after nearly two years of war.
Netanyahu said he dispatched the team to Doha with "clear instructions" to reach an agreement "under the conditions that we have agreed to".
He previously said Hamas's response to a draft US-backed ceasefire proposal, conveyed through Qatari and Egyptian mediators, contained "unacceptable" demands.
'Important mission'
Two Palestinian sources close to the discussions had earlier told AFP the proposal included a 60-day truce, during which Hamas would release 10 living captives and several bodies in exchange for Palestinians detained by Israel.
However, they said, the group was also demanding certain conditions for Israel's withdrawal, guarantees against a resumption of fighting during negotiations, and the return of the UN-led aid distribution system.
Netanyahu has an "important mission" in Washington, "advancing a deal to bring all our hostages home", said Israeli President Isaac Herzog.
Trump is not scheduled to meet the Israeli premier until 6:30 pm (2230 GMT) Monday, the White House said, without the usual presence of journalists.
Of the 251 captives taken by Palestinian militants during the 2023 attack, 49 are still being held in Gaza, including 27, the Israeli military says, are dead.
Since Israel's war on Gaza in October 2023, mediators have brokered two temporary halts in the fighting. They have seen captives freed in exchange for Palestinian prisoners in Israeli custody.
Recent efforts to broker a new truce have repeatedly failed, with the primary point of contention being Israel's rejection of Hamas's demand for a lasting ceasefire.
'Enough blood'
In Gaza, the territory's civil defence agency reported 12 people killed in gunfire or strikes on Monday. AFP has contacted the Israeli military for comment.
"We are losing young people, families and children every day, and this must stop now," Gaza resident Osama al-Hanawi told AFP.
"Enough blood has been shed."
Media restrictions in Gaza and difficulties in accessing many areas mean AFP is unable to independently verify the tolls and details provided by the civil defence agency.
Hundreds killed seeking aid
The Israeli war has created dire humanitarian conditions for the more than two million people in the Gaza Strip.
A US- and Israel-backed group, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), took the lead in food distribution in the territory in late May, when Israel partially lifted a more than two-month blockade on aid deliveries.
But its operations have had a chaotic rollout, with repeated reports of aid seekers killed near its facilities while awaiting rations.
UN agencies and major aid groups have refused to cooperate with the GHF over concerns that it was designed to cater to Israeli military objectives.
The UN human rights office said last week that more than 500 people have been killed waiting to access food from GHF distribution points.
The health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza on Sunday placed the toll even higher, at 751 killed.
Israel's war on Gaza has killed at least 57,418 Palestinians, mostly civilians, according to the Hamas-run territory's health ministry. The United Nations considers the figures reliable.
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