BEIRUT (AP) – Hamas announced Thursday it will send a delegation to Egypt. Further ceasefire negotiationsThere are new signs of progress in international mediators' attempts to reach a deal between Israel and the extremist group to end it. war in gaza.
After months of stop-and-start negotiations, ceasefire efforts appear to have succeeded. reached a critical stage, Egyptian and American mediators have reported signs of compromise in recent days.But the possibility of an agreement remains tangled important questions Whether Israel will accept an end to the war without achieving its stated goal of annihilating Hamas.
The stakes of ceasefire negotiations have been laid bare in a new United Nations report that says even if the war between Israel and Hamas were to stop today, it would still take until 2040 to rebuild all areas. destroyed houses through nearly seven months of Israeli artillery shelling and ground attacks in the Gaza Strip. warned of the effects of damage to the economy It only gets worse as generations of development set back and the fighting continues month after month.
The proposal submitted to Hamas by US and Egyptian mediators, apparently with Israeli acceptance, sets out a three-step process that will result in an immediate six-week cease-fire and the partial release of Israeli hostages. However, at the same time, negotiations will be held regarding “permanent military action.'' Egyptian officials say this includes Israel's withdrawal from Gaza. Hamas wants guarantees for Israel's complete withdrawal and a complete end to the war.
Hamas officials have sent mixed signals about the proposal in recent days. But on Thursday, Supreme Leader Ismail Haniyeh spoke to Egypt's intelligence chief and “underscored the positive spirit of the movement in considering ceasefire proposals,” a statement said.
The statement said Hamas negotiators would travel to Cairo “to complete ongoing discussions with the aim of moving towards an agreement.” Haniya said he also spoke to the prime minister of Qatar, the other key mediator in the process.
Brokers hope the deal will end a conflict that has killed more than 34,000 Palestinians, caused widespread destruction and plunged the territory into a humanitarian crisis, according to local health officials. are doing.They also hope that an agreement can be reached Avoiding Israel's attack on RafahIn the Gaza Strip, more than half of Gaza's 2.3 million residents seek shelter after fleeing other conflict zones in the territory.
It would be a major change of direction if Israel agreed to end the war in exchange for the release of all hostages. Since the Oct. 7 Hamas attack stunned Israel, Hamas leaders have vowed not to stop shelling and ground attacks until the insurgency is destroyed. Israel also insists that it must maintain its military presence and security control in the Gaza Strip after the war to prevent Hamas from re-establishing itself.
At least publicly, the Israeli Prime Minister Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu It continues to insist that it is the only acceptable end goal.
He vowed that even if a ceasefire were reached, Israel would eventually attack Rafah, Hamas' last stronghold in Gaza. He reiterated his determination to do so in a meeting Wednesday with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who is in Israel on a regional tour to hammer out a deal.
Associated Press correspondent Karen Chammas reports on the latest efforts to secure a ceasefire in Gaza.
The immediate fate of this agreement will depend on whether Hamas accepts the uncertainty of the final stages that will initially result in a six-week cessation of fighting, and at least postpone what is feared to be a devastating attack on Rafah. It depends on you.
Egypt has privately assured Hamas that the deal means a complete end to the war. But Egyptian officials said Hamas said the text was too vague and wanted it to specify that Israel would withdraw completely from all of Gaza. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the internal review.
However, the news was not very positive on Wednesday evening as senior Hamas official Osama Hamdan expressed skepticism, saying that Hamas's initial position was “negative”. He told Hezbollah's Al-Manar TV that talks were still ongoing but would be halted if Israel invaded Rafah.
Blinken said Israel had made a “very important” compromise and increased pressure on Hamas to accept.
“There is no time for any more haggling. The deal is done,” Blinken said Wednesday before departing for the United States.
Meanwhile, an Israeli airstrike killed at least five people, including a child, in Deir al-Balah in central Gaza. The bodies were identified and counted by Associated Press reporters at the hospital.
The war broke out on October 7, when Hamas militants invaded southern Israel, killing more than 1,200 people, mostly Israelis, and taking about 250 hostages, some of whom were released during the ceasefire in November. It was done.
What triggered the Israel-Hamas war? October 7th: Attack on southern Israel In the incident, the militants killed about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducted about 250 hostages.Hamas is believed to still exist Approximately 100 hostages The bodies of over 30 other people.
Since then, Israeli operations in Gaza have caused massive destruction and resulted in a humanitarian disaster, with hundreds of thousands of Palestinians in northern Gaza facing imminent starvation and 80% of the population according to the United Nations. It is said that more than 50% were forced to leave their homes.
According to a report released Thursday by the United Nations Development Program and the Economic and Social Commission for West Asia, “the productive base of the economy has been destroyed” and poverty among Palestinians is soaring.
The overall Palestinian economy, including both Gaza and the West Bank, has shrunk by 25.8% so far in 2024, the report said. If the war continues, losses will reach a “staggering” 29% by July, the report said. The West Bank economy has been hit by Israel's decision to revoke the work permits of tens of thousands of workers who relied on jobs in Israel.
“These new numbers warn that Gaza's suffering will not end even when the war ends,” said UNDP Director Achim Steiner. He warned of a “serious development crisis that threatens the future of generations to come.”
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Lee Keath reported from Cairo and Sam Mednick from Tel Aviv, Israel.