The latest round of Gaza ceasefire talks ended in Cairo after “intense and serious discussions”, the Hamas militant group said on Sunday, reiterating key demands that were again rejected by Israel.
After signs of progress, the outlook appeared to be bleak as Israel closed its main crossing point to transport much-needed humanitarian aid to Gaza following an attack by Hamas militants. The defense minister claimed that Hamas was not serious about any deal and warned of “a powerful operation in Rafah and other locations throughout Gaza in the near future.”
Israel did not send any delegation to the talks brokered by Egypt and Qatar, and Defense Minister Yoav Galant said that “we see indications that Hamas does not intend to go to any agreement.”
Egyptian state media reported that the Hamas delegation left Cairo for discussions in Qatar and would return to the Egyptian capital for further talks on Tuesday.
Another threat to the talks came when Israel ordered the closure of local offices of Qatar’s Al Jazeera satellite news network, accusing it of broadcasting anti-Israel incitement. The ban had no impact on the channel’s operations in Gaza.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, under pressure from hardliners in his government, continued to downplay expectations of a ceasefire agreement, calling Hamas’s key demands “excessive” – including the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza and an end to the war. Netanyahu said it would amount to surrender after the Hamas attack on October 7 that started the fighting.
Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh had earlier said in a statement that the militant group was serious and positive about talks and that stopping Israeli aggression in Gaza was the main priority.
But Israel’s government has again vowed to continue military operations in Rafah, Gaza’s southernmost city on the border with Egypt, where more than half of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents now seek shelter from Israeli attacks. Rafah is a major entry point for aid.
Kerem Shalom, now closed, is another. The Israeli military reported that 10 projectiles were launched at the crossing in southern Israel and said its warplanes later attacked the source. Hamas said it was targeting Israeli troops in the area. Israel’s Channel 12 TV channel said 10 people were injured, three seriously. It was not clear how long the crossing would remain closed.
The attack came shortly after the head of the UN World Food Program claimed there was “complete famine” in devastated northern Gaza, one of the most prominent warnings yet about restrictions on food and other aid entering the territory. Is. The comments were not a formal famine declaration.
In extended comments when the full NBC interview was released on Sunday, WFP chief Cindy McCain said the famine in Gaza was “going south” and Israel’s efforts to allow more aid were not enough. “We need more capacity to be able to bring in more trucks,” he said. “Right now we have a lot of trucks at the outer border, enough trucks and enough food for 1.1 million people for about three months. We need to get it in.”
Gaza’s enormous humanitarian needs add further pressure towards a ceasefire. The proposal put forward by Egyptian mediators to Hamas set out a three-phase process that would include an immediate six-week ceasefire and the partial release of Israeli hostages taken in the October 7 attack, and would include some form of Israeli withdrawal will also be included. , The initial phase will last for 40 days. Hamas would begin by releasing female civilian hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.
Netanyahu claimed Israel had shown willingness to make concessions but said it would “continue fighting until all its objectives are achieved.” This also includes the declared goal of crushing Hamas. Israel says it will target Rafah to attack remaining fighters, despite warnings from the US and others about the danger to civilians.
Four children and two adults, including a baby, were killed in an Israeli strike on the home of the al-Attar family in an urban refugee camp near Rafah on Sunday, according to Abu Youssef al-Najjar hospital.
In subsequent comments for Israel’s annual Holocaust Remembrance Day, Netanyahu said: “We will defend ourselves by all means. We will triumph over our enemies and we will ensure our security – in the Gaza Strip, on the Lebanese border, everywhere. “
On October 7, a Hamas cross-border attack killed about 1,200 people and took 250 others hostage. Israel says the militants still hold about 100 hostages and the remains of more than 30 others. Netanyahu is under increasing pressure from the families of some hostages to reach a compromise to end the war and free the hostages.
More than 34,500 people have been killed in Israeli air and ground attacks, according to Palestinian health officials, who do not distinguish between civilians and combatants but say the majority of those killed are women and children.
Israel blames Hamas for civilian deaths, accusing it of infiltrating residential and public areas. The Israeli military says it has killed 13,000 terrorists, without providing evidence to support this claim.