3 weeks ago
Efforts to unafraid ceasefire successful Gaza proceed
A caller connection from Israel for a cease-fire successful Gaza is reportedly being reviewed by elder Hamas officials connected Saturday.
Senior Hamas charismatic Khalil al-Hayva said nan Palestinian militant group was evaluating Israel's proposal, and "upon completion of its study, it will taxable its response."
According to nan Associated Press, he gave nary further specifications of Israel's connection but said it was successful consequence to a connection from Hamas 2 weeks ago.
Hamas' connection came hours aft a high-level Egyptian delegation wrapped up a sojourn to Israel wherever it discussed a "new vision" for a prolonged cease-fire successful Gaza, according to an Egyptian official, who said connected information of anonymity to freely talk nan developments.
It was not instantly clear whether Israel's latest consequence to Hamas connected a cease-fire was straight related to nan Egyptian mediator's sojourn to Tel Aviv connected Friday.
The discussions betwixt Egyptian and Israeli officials focused connected nan first shape of a multi-phase scheme that would see a constricted speech of hostages held by Hamas for Palestinian prisoners, and nan return of a important number of displaced Palestinians to their homes successful bluish Gaza "with minimum restrictions," nan Egyptian charismatic said.
The mediators are moving connected a discuss that will reply astir of some parties' main demands, which could pave nan measurement to continued negotiations pinch nan extremity of a larger woody to extremity nan war, nan charismatic said.
Next week, Egypt's overseas curate is expected to update world officials successful Riyadh, Saudi Arabia during a World Economic Forum meeting, Reuters reported.
Børge Brende, nan WEF's president, said astatine a news convention Saturday that nan update will beryllium portion of talks betwixt Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and respective world officials aimed astatine pushing for a bid statement successful Gaza.
"We do person nan cardinal players now successful Riyadh and hopefully nan discussions tin lead into a process towards reconciliation and peace," Brende said, adding that Gaza's humanitarian situation would beryllium connected nan schedule of nan WEF's meeting.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will be nan meetings alongside location leaders including Qatar's premier minister, Saudi Arabia's overseas minister, Oman's crown prince and Bahraini officials, Brende said.
"There is now a spot of momentum for negotiations connected nan hostages and besides a imaginable ceasefire," Brende said.
As nan warfare drags connected and casualties mount, location has been increasing world unit for Hamas and Israel to scope an statement connected a cease-fire and avert a imaginable Israeli onslaught connected Rafah, wherever much than half of Gaza's 2.3 cardinal group person sought refuge aft fleeing fighting elsewhere successful nan territory.
Israel has been insisting for months it plans a crushed violative into Rafah, connected nan separator pinch Egypt, wherever it says galore remaining Hamas militants are holed up, contempt calls for restraint from nan world organization including Israel's staunchest ally, nan United States.
Egypt has cautioned an violative into Rafah could person "catastrophic consequences" connected nan humanitarian business successful Gaza, arsenic good arsenic connected location bid and security.
The Israeli subject has massed dozens of tanks and armored vehicles successful confederate Israel adjacent to Rafah and deed targets successful nan metropolis successful near-daily airstrikes.
Early Saturday, an Israeli airstrike deed a location successful Rafah's Tel Sultan neighborhood, sidesplitting six people, including 4 children, according to officials astatine a section hospital.
The onslaught killed a man, his woman and their 3 sons, aged 12, 10 and 8, according to records of nan Abu Yousef al-Najjar hospital's morgue. A neighbor's four-month-old woman was besides killed, nan records showed.
Five group were besides killed successful nan Nuseirat exile campy successful cardinal Gaza overnight erstwhile an Israeli onslaught deed a house, according to officials astatine nan al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital.
Elsewhere, Israeli forces changeable and killed 2 Palestinian men successful an speech of occurrence astatine a checkpoint successful nan Israeli-occupied West Bank, nan subject said.
Violence successful nan West Bank has flared since nan warfare started. Since then, 491 Palestinians person been killed by Israeli occurrence successful nan territory according to nan Ramallah-based Health Ministry,
The Israeli service said nan 2 men were killed aft they opened occurrence from a conveyance astatine Israeli troops stationed astatine Salem checkpoint adjacent nan Palestinian metropolis of Jenin.
The U.S. has been captious of Israeli policies successful nan West Bank and Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who is expected successful Israel connected Tuesday, has precocious determined an service portion committed quality authorities abuses there earlier nan warfare successful Gaza.
But Blinken said successful an undated missive to House Speaker Mike Johnson, obtained by CBS News connected Friday, that he is postponing a determination connected blocking assistance to nan portion to springiness Israel much clip to correct nan wrongdoing.
The accusation comes arsenic Blinken weighs whether to urge suspending U.S. assistance to nan portion nether a national measurement known arsenic nan Leahy Law. The rule prevents nan U.S. from providing weapons aliases costs for subject assistance to groups erstwhile location is reliable accusation indicating nan groups person violated quality rights.
According to a root pinch knowledge of nan letter, Johnson had demanded assurance from Blinken earlier he would put a long-delayed overseas assistance package to a ballot connected nan House floor. Blinken's missive was delivered to Johnson past Saturday, nan time nan ballot was to return place.
The U.S. has besides been building a pier to present assistance to Gaza done a caller port, which an charismatic said past week was connected way to commencement operating by early May.
The Biden management has stressed location will beryllium nary American boots connected nan crushed for nan mission. However, nan BBC reported Saturday that nan British authorities was considering deploying troops to thrust nan trucks to transportation nan assistance to nan shore, citing unidentified authorities sources. British officials declined to remark connected nan report.
Hamas sparked nan warfare pinch its onslaught into confederate Israel connected Oct. 7, successful which militants killed astir 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took immoderate 250 group arsenic hostages. Israel says nan militants are still holding astir 100 hostages and nan remains of much than 30 others.
Since then, much than 34,000 Palestinians person been killed successful Israel's aerial and crushed offensive, according to nan Health Ministry successful Hamas-run Gaza, astir two-thirds of them children and women.
Israel has reported astatine slightest 260 of its soldiers killed since nan commencement of crushed operations successful Gaza.
- In:
- War
- Hamas
- Israel
- Gaza Strip
- Middle East
