Renewed negotiations regarding a ceasefire and the freeing of hostages in Gaza are making speed, fuelled by a freshly adjusted proposal offered by Hamas and an openness from Israel to revisit halted discussions. Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu of Israel assured US president Joe Biden on Thursday of his intentions to send a delegate to rekindle the discussions, with Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency chief likely at the helm.
An undisclosed Israeli negotiator shared optimism about the possibility of an agreement, given Hamas’ recently amended proposal on agreement terms, which was received on Wednesday. The proposal had a substantial and promising development, the source shared, without revealing any more information.
How Israel reacted to this proposal was a stark departure from past occasions in the ongoing Gaza war that has been prevalent for nearly nine months, typically pulling back when demands put forth by the militant Islamist group were deemed unacceptable.
A Palestinian official, closely connected to peace negotiations mediated internationally, voiced to Reuters that the recent Hamas proposal, if favoured by Israel, can pave the way for a basic deal. The official revealed a major shift stating that Hamas was no longer insisting on Israel’s commitment to permanent ceasefire before the agreement inked; rather, they would be welcoming a negotiation to achieve just this in an inaugural phase that spans six weeks.
The official further mentioned that in the event of a requirement for more time to secure an agreement on a permanent ceasefire, the two parties will have to mutually agree that none would retaliate with violence until such an agreement is reached.
Over the years, Hamas had expressed fulfilment of certain criteria before any agreement can be signed – ending the war, a complete Israeli retreat from Gaza, and freedom for Palestinian prisoners detained in Israel in exchange for Israeli hostages in Gaza.
Israel had maintained their stand of accepting just brief cessations in the violent acts, until a complete dissolution of Hamas ruling over the petite, and highly populated Gaza strip achieved.
The change shown by Hamas, while, appreciated, there are still pending subjects like, a permanent ceasefire to be addressed by Egypt.
The Israeli offensive allegedly a response to a Hamas-led assault on Israel on October last year, that supposedly killed 1,200 people and took over 250 hostage, has left an alarming 38,000 Palestinians lifeless in Gaza, according to the Gaza health authorities.
A human rights crisis provoked by war has erupted across Gaza, escalating tensions in the surrounding region and inciting frequent bouts of violence at the northern frontier of Israel, perpetuated by the Hizbullah group supported by Iran.
Hizbullah disclosed on Friday that its chief, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, had engaged in discussions with a senior Hamas official, Khalil Al-Hayya, pertaining to the evolving situation within Gaza. The particulars of these discussions, however, they did not divulge.
In a recent revelation, it was disclosed that Mr Biden and Mr Netanyahu discussed the Hamas’ feedback to a potential deal. A gesture of approval came from Mr Biden regarding Mr Netanyahu’s choice to rekindle the discontinued talks, with the objective of finalising the pact.
“There’s a deal that with a realistic chance of being enacted,” revealed a member of the Israeli discussion team. They also warned that the deal is vulnerable to “political calculations” and could potentially fall through.
Several far-right members of Netanyahu’s ruling consortium have signaled their potential withdrawal from government if the war was to cease prior to Hamas’ defeat. This could likely conclude Netanyahu’s term as Prime Minister.
The broadcast on Israel’s Channel 7 News detailed far-right consortium member Itamar Ben Gvir’s allegations during a cabinet gathering on Thursday evening. He claimed that upper security and defence personnel made a decision to recommence negotiations without his input.
Hamas’ reply was in response to a recommendation made public by Mr Biden towards the end of May, advocating for the liberation of approximately 120 captives detained in Gaza and a call for cessation of hostilities.
The proposed plan advocates a two-step phased tower – first slowly releasing captives and the withdrawal of Israeli forces, followed by the release of Palestinian prisoners. A third phase would focus on rehabilitating Gaza and returning the bodies of deceased captives.
Former attempts at peaceful resolution of the Gaza conflict were mediated by Egypt and Qatar, with discussions taking place in both countries.
In the most recent combat in Gaza, inhabitants reported Israeli tank units infiltrating the Al-Nasser neighbourhood located in northern Rafah, adjacent to the Egyptian border, just before dawn.
Israel declared its Rafah operations were intended to dismantle the remaining battalions of Hamas’ military wing.
Tragedy struck when an Israeli air raid on a residential building resulted in the deaths of five Palestinians, among which were three children, in Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza, according to Gaza medical personnel.
Tragically, five Palestinians also lost their lives due to an Israeli military operation in the West Bank city of Jenin, as reported by the Palestinian health ministry on Friday. – Reuters
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