Hamas representatives will stay in Egypt for an additional day, as mediators requested, to prolong peace talks. Despite no substantial progress after two days, an authoritative figure from the militant faction revealed this on Tuesday. The purpose of these discussions in Cairo is seen as the last obstacle to acheive the first prolonged peace interval in the combat between Hamas and Israel. This would take the form of a 40-day ceasefire during which Israeli hostages would be released, and aid sent to Gaza before the Ramadan holiday commences early next week.
One official from Hamas informed Reuters, “The delegation will continue dialogues in Cairo today, with the aim of concluding this session by the end of the day”. Egypt’s Qahera television also reported the extension of the talks to a third day, highlighting the challenges faced.
Previously, leading Hamas official Bassem Naim told Reuters that the militant group had submitted their ceasefire agreement proposal to the mediators and were now anticipating a response from the Israelis, who have absented themselves from this cycle of talks.
According to an Unicef officer, malnutrition, dehydration, and disease are now causing deaths among Gazan children. Unfortunately, the UN agency’s budget crisis is causing a ‘disaster’ for Palestinians throughout the Middle East.
Binyamin Netanyahu, Israel’s prime minister, “is reluctant to reach an agreement and the responsibility now lies with the Americans” to persuade him for a pact, as stated by Mr. Naim. Contrary to Mr. Naim’s remarks that Israel was stalling the agreement, a high-ranking Israeli official refuted, “The claim is baseless. Israel is exerting all efforts to come to an agreement. We are waiting for Hamas’s response.” Israel has chosen not to make public comments on the Cairo discussions.
A source informed Reuters earlier that Israel’s absence from the talks was due to Hamas’s refusal to provide a record of all living hostages. Mr. Naim argued that this was unfeasible without a prior ceasefire, considering hostages are spread throughout the conflict area and held by different groups.
On Monday, Egyptian security sources said that they are maintaining contact with the Israelis to keep the negotiations moving, even without an Israeli delegation being present.
Washington, seen as Israel’s primary collaborator and mediator in the ceasefire negotiations, has established that a deal has already received Israeli endorsement, leaving its acceptance to Hamas. However, Hamas disputes this narrative, claiming it’s a move to divert blame onto them should the discussions terminate without a resolution.
Also, the United States has urged Israel to increase its efforts to alleviate the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where Israel’s aggression, initiated following the October Hamas attacks causing 1,200 fatalities, has resulted in the death of over 30,000 Palestinians.
Gaza is currently in the throes of a severe famine. Aid which had already substantially decreased since the beginning of the conflict has reduced to a mere trickle in the past month, leaving vast stretches of the area starved of food. With Gaza’s few operational hospitals, already stretched by the influx of injured, now witnessing an increase in undernourished children dying.
At the Al-Awda clinic in Rafah, an extremely frail Ahmed Cannan who was merely a toddler with hollowed eyes, lay enveloped in a yellow sweater. He had shed half his weight since the conflict began and now only weighed 6kg.
“His condition deteriorates every day. May God shield us from the impending disaster,” warned his aunt, Israa Kalakh during a conversation with Reuters.
Nurse Diaa Al-Shaer stated the current influx of starved children in the clinic had reached alarming levels. “A large number of patients will suffer from malnutrition,” she predicted.
The state of affairs in the north of Gaza has hit its worst, eluding the reach of aid organisations or the media. As per the Gaza health authorities, 15 children have succumbed to malnutrition or dehydration at a single hospital.
Israel has expressed readiness to permit more aid through the two checkpoints on Gaza’s southern rim that it has sanctioned to open. The nation has passed the blame for the failure in a wider distribution of aid onto the United Nations and other aid bodies.
The aid organisations, in response, have claimed a wider distribution infeasible due to a breakdown in law and order. They state it is Israel’s responsibility, whose forces have invaded and now police the towns in Gaza, to facilitate accessibility and security for food distribution.
Adele Khodr, Unicef’s regional director for the Middle East and North Africa, expressed the overwhelming misery and hopelessness experienced by parents and medical professionals who are aware that crucial, lifesaving support, although mere kilometres away, is unable to be accessed. – Reuters