TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Hamas delegation I was in Cairo on Saturday. As Egyptian state media reported “remarkable progress”. ceasefire negotiations For Gaza. But Israel has not sent a delegation, and Israeli officials have emphasized their commitment to invading Rafah while downplaying the prospect of a complete end to the war.
Pressure is mounting to halt the agreement almost 7 months of war. A senior UN official is currently Full-scale famine breaks out in northern GazaMeanwhile, the United States has repeatedly warned Israel, a close ally, about the plan. Attack on Rafathe southernmost city on the border with Egypt, is home to more than 1 million Palestinians.
Egyptian and U.S. mediators have reported signs of compromise in recent days, but the possibility of a ceasefire agreement depends on whether Israel will accept an end to the war without achieving its stated goal of annihilating the militant group Hamas. remains intertwined with the important question of whether
Egypt's state-run Al-Qahera news television channel said an agreement had been reached on a number of issues, but did not elaborate. Hamas called for a complete end to the war and the withdrawal of all Israeli forces from Gaza.
Senior Israeli officials, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the ongoing negotiations, downplayed the prospect of a complete end to the war. The official said Israel was active in invading Rafah and would not under any circumstances agree to end the war as part of a hostage release agreement.
Israeli media said the statement was ordered by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and that his government could be threatened if Netanyahu agreed to the deal, as hardline ministers have called for an attack on Prime Minister Rafah. It was reported that there is.
The proposal submitted by Egyptian mediators to Hamas sets out a three-step process that would result in an immediate six-week ceasefire and partial release of Israeli hostages, including some kind of Israeli withdrawal. The initial stage lasts 40 days. Hamas would begin by releasing female civilian hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.
Some hostage families have accused Netanyahu of prolonging the war for political gain. Daniel Elgart, whose brother Yitzhak is detained by Hamas, addressed Prime Minister Netanyahu at the latest rally in Tel Aviv: The war is effectively over, we know it's over, you can't fool us. ”
Local health officials in Gaza say the war has killed more than 34,000 Palestinians, caused widespread destruction and plunged the territory into an unprecedented humanitarian crisis.
The conflict erupted on October 7 when Hamas attacked southern Israel, abducting about 250 people and killing about 1,200, mostly civilians.Israel, extremist statements Still holding about 100 hostages The bodies of over 30 other people.
At least six people were killed in Israel's attack on Gaza on Saturday. Three bodies were found in the rubble of a building in Rafah and taken to Yousef Al-Najjar Hospital. Three people were killed in the attack at Nuseyrat refugee camp in central Gaza, hospital officials said.
The Gaza Health Ministry said on Saturday that the bodies of 32 people killed in Israeli airstrikes in the past 24 hours had been transferred to local hospitals. The ministry does not distinguish between combatants and civilians in its tally, but says women and children account for about two-thirds of the deaths.
The Israeli military said it had killed 13,000 militants, without providing evidence to support that claim.
The raids in the Gaza Strip also resulted in mass arrests.The territory's Ministry of Health has requested an investigation from the International Criminal Court. Death of Gaza surgeon in Israeli custody. Adnan Alborsh, 50, was working at al-Awda hospital when Israeli forces attacked it in December, according to the Palestinian Prisoners of War Club.
The United Nations has warned that hundreds of thousands of people are “at imminent risk of death” if Israeli forces advance into the densely populated city of Rafah, which is also a key entry point for humanitarian aid. Israel briefed U.S. officials Regarding plans to evacuate civilians.
Cindy McCain, director of the U.N. World Food Program, said Friday that civilians trapped in the north, the most isolated part of the Gaza Strip, are starving. McCain said a ceasefire and a significant increase in the flow of aid by land and sea are essential.
Israeli humanitarian officials said Saturday that Mr. McCain's claims were false and that Israel was facilitating the provision of further aid. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the situation.
Israel recently opened a new border for aid to northern Gaza, but Israeli settlers on Wednesday intercepted the first convoy before it could enter the besieged enclave. Once in Gaza, the convoy was overran by Hamas militants and later recovered by UN personnel.
Some refugees in northern Gaza say they have been skipping meals and not eating vegetables for weeks.
“You know that right now in Gaza, everything is in short supply. There are no vegetables, there are no aid supplies or food packages. Food parcels arrive about once a month,” Marwan Alzayed said. Ta.
In the Israeli-occupied West Bank, where tensions have been high since the outbreak of the Gaza war, Israeli forces and the Shin Bet announced they had killed five fighters in Tulkarem, claiming that the fighters had opened fire. . Palestinian authorities said five people were killed in Israeli fire in the town of Deir al-Ghasn, about 7 kilometers northeast of Tulkarem.
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Jeffrey reported from Jerusalem. Associated Press reporters Joseph Federman in Jerusalem and Bassem Mourou in Beirut contributed to this report.
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