Ceasefire talks resume in Gaza Strip – DW – 05/05/2024

Israel and Hamas accuse each other of disrupting talks that resumed this Saturday (05/04/2024) in Cairo with international mediation to reach a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip after almost seven months of war. Planted.

The mediators – Qatar, Egypt and the United States – sat down with the Hamas delegation to hear their response to the latest ceasefire proposal presented in late April. The proposal includes a cessation of hostilities for 40 days and an exchange of Israelis held in Gaza from October 7, 2023 – in exchange for Palestinians imprisoned in Israel.

A Hamas leader reiterated that they would not “under any circumstances” accept an agreement that does not explicitly include an end to the war. For his part, an Israeli leader had recently considered Hamas’s position as an obstacle to any agreement.

“So far, Hamas has not given up its demand to end the war, hindering the possibility of reaching an agreement,” he told the agency. AFP A senior Israeli official spoke on condition of anonymity. The official denied reports that Israel had agreed to end the war in exchange for the release of hostages held by Hamas.

Israel – which is not present at the Cairo talks – will send a delegation only if progress is made in the “framework” of the hostage exchange, an Israeli representative in Jerusalem announced, adding that he expected “tough negotiations”.

According to the portal axiosCentral Intelligence Agency (CIA) chief William Burns is in the Egyptian capital.

Possible ground offensive in Rafah

Meanwhile, Israeli bombardment continued in Gaza, particularly in Rafah, a city at the southern end of the strip that is home to about 1.5 million people. Israel – which, like the United States and the European Union, classifies Hamas as a terrorist organization – opposes a definitive ceasefire and insists on launching a ground offensive against Rafah, considering it the last stronghold of the Islamic Commandos. .

The United States opposes invasion of that territory, especially if Israel does not protect civilians. Meanwhile, the World Health Organization (WHO) warned that the attack in Rafah could lead to a “bloodbath”.

A ground operation in Rafah could also affect humanitarian aid entering the strip, mainly through the city on the border with Egypt, which is already inadequate for the 2.4 million people there.

AMA (AFP, AP, Reuters)