Latest news with #Taheral-Nunu
Daily Tribune
17-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Tribune
Hamas and Israel Resume Indirect Talks in Doha Without Preconditions
A senior Hamas official confirmed that a new round of indirect negotiations with Israel began on Saturday in Doha, Qatar, with both parties entering the discussions without setting any preconditions. Taher al-Nunu, a senior advisor to Hamas leadership, stated that the group is prepared to engage in comprehensive dialogue. 'This round of negotiations began without any preconditions from either side, and the negotiations are open to discussing all issues,' he said. Al-Nunu emphasized that Hamas will focus its proposals on three core issues: a complete ceasefire, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, and a prisoner exchange agreement. The resumption of talks comes amid ongoing international pressure to end the months-long conflict in Gaza, which has resulted in significant humanitarian concerns and global calls for de-escalation. Negotiators from Qatar, Egypt, and the United States are reportedly mediating the discussions, though no breakthrough has been announced yet.
LeMonde
17-05-2025
- Politics
- LeMonde
Gaza: Hamas announces new round of talks underway, amid new Israeli offensive
A senior Hamas official said a new round of indirect negotiations with Israel aimed at ending the war in Gaza started in Doha "without any preconditions" on Saturday, May 17. The announcement came as Israel's military launched a new Gaza offensive, saying it was part of "the expansion of the battle in the Gaza Strip" aimed at defeating the Palestinian militant group. "This round of negotiations began without any preconditions from either side, and the negotiations are open to discussing all issues," Taher al-Nunu said. "Hamas will present its viewpoint on all issues, especially ending the war, [Israel's] withdrawal and prisoner exchange." The Israeli military said it had launched "extensive strikes" earlier on Saturday as part of the "initial stages" of a fresh offensive, more than 19 months into the war sparked by Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack. The renewed fighting came after Israel imposed a total aid blockade on the territory that UN agencies warn has created critical shortages of food, clean water, fuel and medicines. Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz credited the intensified campaign with bringing Hamas back to the table. "With the opening of Operation 'Gideon's Chariots' in Gaza, which is being led by the [Israeli army] command with great force, the Hamas delegation in Doha announced a return to negotiations on a hostage deal – in contrast to the recalcitrant position they had taken up until that moment," he said. Calls for action at an Arab League summit Hours after the start of the offensive, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, speaking at an Arab League summit, called for increased pressure "to halt the massacre in Gaza." Sanchez, who has sharply criticised the Israeli offensive, said world leaders should "intensify our pressure on Israel to halt the massacre in Gaza, particularly through the channels afforded to us by international law." He said his government planned a UN resolution demanding an International Court of Justice ruling on Israel's war methods. The "unacceptable number" of war victims in Gaza violates the "principle of humanity," he said. Also at the summit, UN chief Antonio Guterres said "we need a permanent ceasefire, now," and added that "we reject the repeated displacement of the Gaza population, along with any question of forced displacement outside of Gaza." The UN secretary-general also said he was "alarmed by reported plans by Israel to expand ground operations and more." Meanwhile, Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi urged his US counterpart Donald Trump to "apply all necessary efforts (...) for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip." 'Support reconstruction efforts' The summit comes straight after a Gulf tour by Trump, who sparked uproar earlier this year by declaring that the United States could take over Gaza and turn it into the "Riviera of the Middle East." The scheme that included the proposed displacement of Palestinians prompted Arab leaders to come up with an alternative plan to rebuild the territory at a March summit in Cairo. Iraq's Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani told the summit that his country backs the creation of an "Arab fund to support reconstruction efforts" after crises in the region. He pledged $20 million to the reconstruction of Gaza and a similar amount for Lebanon. Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein said the Baghdad meeting would endorse previous Arab League decisions on Gaza's reconstruction countering Trump's widely condemned proposal. 'Enough with the attacks' Italy's government also upped its exhortations on Saturday, urging Israel to stop deadly military strikes in Gaza, with Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani saying: "Enough with the attacks." "We no longer want to see the Palestinian people suffer," Tajani said during a trip to Sicily, in remarks relayed by his spokesman. "Let's come to a ceasefire, let's free the hostages, but let's leave people who are victims of Hamas alone," he was cited as saying.
Business Recorder
17-05-2025
- Business
- Business Recorder
New Gaza talks ‘without any preconditions' underway in Doha: Hamas
DOHA: A senior Hamas official said a new round of indirect negotiations with Israel aimed at ending the war in Gaza started in Doha 'without any preconditions' on Saturday. The announcement came as Israel's military launched a new Gaza offensive, saying it was part of 'the expansion of the battle in the Gaza Strip' aimed at defeating the Palestinian group. 'This round of negotiations began without any preconditions from either side, and the negotiations are open to discussing all issues,' said senior Hamas official Taher al-Nunu. 'Hamas will present its viewpoint on all issues, especially ending the war, (Israel's) withdrawal and prisoner exchange.' Israeli strikes kill 146 Palestinians in Gaza in 24 hours, local health authorities say Prior rounds of negotiations have failed to secure a breakthrough on ending the war, and a two-month ceasefire between the sides fell apart when Israel resumed its operations in Gaza on March 18. The renewed fighting came after Israel imposed a total aid blockade on the territory that UN agencies warn has created critical shortages of food, clean water, fuel and medicines. Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz credited the intensified campaign with bringing Hamas back to the table. 'With the opening of Operation 'Gideon's Chariots' in Gaza, which is being led by the IDF (Israeli army) command with great force, the Hamas delegation in Doha announced a return to negotiations on a hostage deal – in contrast to the recalcitrant position they had taken up until that moment,' he said. Negotiations for the release of the captives held in Gaza have been ongoing, with the latest talks taking place in Doha. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said this week he had instructed a negotiating team to head to the Qatari capital.
RTHK
16-05-2025
- Politics
- RTHK
Gaza rescuers say Israeli strikes kill at least 88
Gaza rescuers say Israeli strikes kill at least 88 Senior Hamas official Taher al-Nunu says the group is "awaiting and expecting the US administration to exert further pressure" on Israel to allow aid in. File photo: AFP Rescuers said Israeli strikes on Gaza killed nearly 90 people on Friday, while Hamas demanded the United States press Israel to lift a sweeping aid blockade in return for a US-Israeli hostage released by the group. In early March, shortly before the collapse of a two-month ceasefire in its war against Hamas, Israel reimposed a total blockade on the Gaza Strip, where aid agencies have warned of critical shortages of everything from food and clean water to fuel and medicines. US President Donald Trump acknowledged on Friday that "a lot of people are starving" in the besieged Palestinian territory. "We're looking at Gaza. And we're going to get that taken care of," Trump told reporters in Abu Dhabi, on a regional tour that excluded key ally Israel. Israel says its decision to cut off aid to Gaza was intended to force concessions from militant group Hamas, which still holds dozens of Israeli hostages seized during the October 7, 2023 attack that sparked the war. Hamas on Monday freed Edan Alexander, the last living hostage with US nationality, after direct engagement with the Trump administration that left Israel sidelined. As part of the understanding with Washington regarding Alexander's release, senior Hamas official Taher al-Nunu on Friday said the group was "awaiting and expecting the US administration to exert further pressure" on Israel "to open the crossings and allow the immediate entry of humanitarian aid." Nunu's remarks come a day after Hamas had warned Trump that Gaza was not "for sale," responding to the US president again suggesting he could take over the Palestinian territory and turn it into "a freedom zone." On the ground, Gaza's civil defence agency said Israeli strikes on Friday killed at least 88 people. Hamas's October 2023 attack on Israel resulted in the deaths of 1,218 people on the Israeli side, mostly civilians, according to a tally based on official figures. Of the 251 hostages taken during the attack, 57 remain in Gaza, including 34 the military says are dead. The health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza said 2,985 people have been killed since Israel resumed strikes on March 18, taking the war's overall toll to 53,119 deaths in the Palestinian territory. (AFP)
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First Post
29-04-2025
- Politics
- First Post
Israel, Hamas deny reports of ‘breakthrough' in Gaza ceasefire talks
'Israel is working tirelessly with the Americans and the mediators with the goal of advancing a deal to free our hostages, but as of now, no agreement has been reached,' an Israeli source said read more Palestinians look at the damage after an Israeli army airstrike in Beit Lahia, northern Gaza Strip, on Monday. AP Hours after a report suggested that there had been 'significant breakthroughs' in Gaza hostage talks, an Israeli source on Tuesday dismissed the claims, saying there has been no progress since an Israeli negotiating team arrived in Cairo on Monday night. According to a Times of Israel report, the official said 'Israel is working tirelessly with the Americans and the mediators with the goal of advancing a deal to free our hostages, but as of now, no agreement has been reached.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD While speaking to Palestine Today, a Hamas official also confirmed that no progress has been made, saying the group has not been presented with new ideas and stressing its opposition to any partial or temporary agreements. The denial follows claims by Egyptian security sources to Reuters on Monday that a 'significant breakthrough' had been achieved in the ceasefire talks. However, the sources acknowledged that key issues, including Hamas's weapons, remained unresolved. In recent weeks, Israel has insisted on Hamas's full disarmament as a precondition for any ceasefire deal — a demand the group has firmly rejected, calling its weapons a 'red line.' 'We are open to any serious proposals to end the war,' Hamas official Taher al-Nunu was quoted as saying on April 26, but emphasised, 'the weapons of resistance are not negotiable.' Israel has warned it will launch a full-scale offensive across Gaza if talks stall. Officials say current operations, which have seen the army seize around half the territory, are meant to pressure Hamas rather than eliminate it entirely. A broader assault would involve mass reservist mobilisation and expanded military operations, the Israeli army has said. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Meanwhile, all Gaza border crossings remain shut, halting aid delivery. Thousands of UNRWA aid trucks are stuck outside, and hospitals face imminent collapse due to critical shortages in medical supplies. On April 16, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz declared that Tel Aviv would block all humanitarian aid, calling it a key tool to pressure Hamas. The UN, Human Rights Watch, and other rights groups have accused Israel of weaponizing starvation in violation of international law. Israel resumed its offensive in Gaza on March 18 after a January ceasefire collapsed, saying it would keep up pressure on Hamas until it frees the remaining hostages still held in the enclave. Up to 24 of them are believed to be still alive. With inputs from agencies
