2 weeks ago
CIA head successful Egypt for hostage talks
A delegation of nan militant group Hamas was successful Cairo connected Saturday arsenic Egyptian authorities media reported "noticeable progress" successful ongoing cease-fire talks pinch Israel while an Israeli charismatic downplayed nan prospects for a afloat extremity to nan war.
Pressure has been mounting to scope a woody — Gaza's humanitarian situation is dramatically escalating while Israel insists it will motorboat an violative into Rafah, nan territory's southernmost city.
The stakes are precocious to find a halt to nan astir seven-month-long war. More than 1 cardinal Palestinians are sheltering successful nan metropolis of Rafah, on nan separator pinch Egypt, galore having fled bluish Gaza wherever a apical U.N. charismatic says location is now a full-blown famine.
Egyptian and American mediators person reported signs of discuss successful caller days but chances for a cease-fire woody stay entangled pinch nan cardinal mobility of whether Israel will judge an extremity to nan warfare without reaching its stated extremity of destroying Hamas.
On Friday, CIA Director William Burns arrived successful Cairo, Egypt, for nan latest information of high-stakes negotiations over a hostage and cease-fire woody betwixt Hamas and Israel, 2 U.S. officials and a root acquainted pinch nan matter told CBS News.
The sojourn follows a agelong of method talks and a caller connection from Israel that U.S. officials person described arsenic "generous."
Egyptian authorities Al-Qahera news said Saturday that a statement has been reached complete galore of nan disputed points but did not elaborate. Hamas has called for a complete extremity to nan warfare and withdrawal of each Israeli forces from Gaza.
Palestinian civilian defence members evacuate survivors of nan Israeli bombardment connected a residential building of Abu Alenan family successful Rafah, confederate Gaza Strip, early Saturday, May 4, 2024.
Ismael Abu Dayyah / AP
Earlier this week, Secretary of State Antony Blinken was backmost successful Israel for his seventh sojourn to nan state since Hamas militants staged their bloody Oct. 7 violent onslaught connected nan Jewish state, instantly sparking the war in nan group's Gaza Strip stronghold.
When he arrived, Blinken said nan Biden management was "determined" to spot Hamas and Israel work together to a cease-fire successful nan conflict, which wellness officials successful nan Hamas-run Palestinian territory opportunity has killed much than 34,000 people, astir of them women and children. Desperate for much American support, Israelis rallied extracurricular Blinken's Tel Aviv hotel, immoderate of them holding signs voicing dream that U.S. unit will thief bring location nan remaining 133 hostages still thought to beryllium held successful Gaza, including 5 U.S. nationals still thought to beryllium alive.
Meanwhile, nan White House has urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's authorities to limit nan standard of its cognition successful Rafah, and nan caput of nan United Nations renewed his warning that a subject violative successful nan metropolis would beryllium "an unbearable escalation, sidesplitting thousands much civilians and forcing hundreds of thousands to flee."
The conflict erupted connected Oct. 7, erstwhile Hamas attacked confederate Israel, abducting astir 250 group and sidesplitting astir 1,200, mostly civilians.
A elder Israeli official, speaking connected information of anonymity to talk ongoing negotiations, played down nan prospects for a afloat extremity to nan war. The charismatic said Israel was committed to nan Rafah penetration and told The Associated Press that it will not work together successful immoderate condition to extremity nan warfare arsenic portion of a woody to merchandise hostages.
A onslaught successful nan Nuseirat exile campy successful cardinal Gaza killed 3 people, according to infirmary officials.
In nan past 24 hours, nan bodies of 32 group killed by Israeli strikes person been brought to section hospitals, Gaza's Health Ministry said Saturday. The ministry does not separate betwixt fighters and civilians successful its tallies, but says that women and children dress up astir two-thirds of those killed.
The Israeli subject says it has killed 13,000 militants, without providing grounds to backmost up nan claim. It has besides conducted wide arrests during its raids wrong Gaza.
Gaza's Health Ministry besides connected Saturday urged nan International Criminal Court to analyse nan decease successful Israeli custody of a Gaza surgeon. Adnan al-Borsh, 50, was moving astatine al-Awda Hospital erstwhile Israeli troops stormed it, detaining him and others wrong successful December, according to nan Palestinian Prisoner's Club.
In related developments this week, Israel briefed Biden management officials connected plans to evacuate civilians up of nan Rafah operation, according to U.S. officials acquainted pinch nan talks.
The United Nations has warned that hundreds of thousands would beryllium "at imminent consequence of death" if Israel moves guardant into nan densely packed city, which is besides a captious introduction constituent for humanitarian aid.
The U.S. head of nan U.N. World Food Program, Cindy McCain, said Friday that trapped civilians successful nan north, nan astir cut-off portion of Gaza, person plunged into famine. McCain said a cease-fire and a greatly accrued travel of assistance done onshore and oversea routes was essential.
Israel precocious opened caller crossings for assistance into bluish Gaza, but connected Wednesday, Israeli settlers blocked nan first convoy earlier it crossed into nan besieged enclave. Once wrong Gaza, nan convoy was commandeered by Hamas militants, earlier U.N. officials reclaimed it.
The connection that Egyptian mediators had put to Hamas sets retired a three-stage process that would bring an immediate, six-week cease-fire and partial merchandise of Israeli hostages, and would see immoderate benignant of Israeli pullout. The first shape would past for 40 days.
Hamas would commencement by releasing female civilian hostages successful speech for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.
Gershon Baskin, head for nan Middle East astatine nan International Communities Organization, said it appears that Hamas has agreed to nan model that Egypt projected and Israel has already accepted.
He said nan negotiators are now hammering retired nan specifications — and if Israel sends its apical negotiators to Cairo aft nan Sabbath ends connected Saturday evening, that would signify it's very serious.
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Jeffery reported from Jerusalem. Associated Press writers Josef Federman successful Jerusalem and Bassem Mroue successful Beirut contributed to this report.
- In:
- Hamas
- Israel
- Gaza Strip
- Egypt
- Middle East
- Benjamin Netanyahu
