CAIRO: In an effort to end hostilities in the Gaza Strip in time for Ramadan, liberate Israeli detainees, and prevent starvation, Hamas negotiators remained in Cairo on Tuesday for a third day of truce talks.
A forty-day cease-fire would allow families to return to their abandoned homes, increase aid to Gaza, and free some of the captives taken by Palestinian fighters during the October offensive.
A Hamas spokesman told Reuters, “The delegation will stay in Cairo on Tuesday for more talks; they are expected to wrap up this round later today.”
According to three security sources from Egypt, the host and mediator, the warring parties were adhering to the demands that had prevented a deal. Even though an Israeli delegation isn’t there, the Egyptians and Israelis are still in communication.
Senior Hamas leader Bassem Naim had earlier stated that the organization had submitted a draft ceasefire accord and was awaiting Israel’s reaction.
Naim asserted, “The onus is now on the Americans to press Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to reach an agreement.”
Although a senior Israeli official stated: “Israel is making every effort to reach an agreement,” Israel has refrained from making public comments regarding the negotiations. We’re waiting on Hamas to respond.
Israel was staying away because Hamas had failed to provide a list of all hostages who are still alive, a source had earlier told Reuters. Since captives were being held by several parties and dispersed throughout the conflict zone, Naim stated that a ceasefire was necessary for this to happen.
The US, which is Israel’s strongest friend and is funding the ceasefire negotiations, has stated that a solution endorsed by Israel is already available and that Hamas must decide whether to accept it. In an effort to shift the blame from Israel in the event that the negotiations fail, Hamas contests this story.
Additionally, the US has called on Israel to take further action to address the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where Israel’s attack has claimed the lives of over 30,000 Palestinians.
On Tuesday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged Hamas to agree to a proposal for a “immediate ceasefire.” He declared, “We have a chance for an immediate ceasefire that can free hostages, significantly boost the amount of humanitarian aid reaching the Palestinian people who sorely need it, and then also set the conditions for an enduring resolution.”
The US, Egyptian, and Qatari mediators, according to the Egyptian security sources, were resolving this discrepancy by providing Hamas with different assurances of peace negotiations to put an end to the conflict. According to the Egyptian sources, the sides also need to settle Israel’s demand for the hostage list and Hamas’s demand that all Gazans be permitted to return to their abandoned homes during the truce.
“Totally traumatized”
In the meantime, the chief of the UN’s Palestinian refugee agency claimed that Gazans imprisoned by Israeli forces are returning “completely traumatized” after being released and citing mistreatment while in detention.
According to UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini, detainees claimed experiencing a “broad range of ill treatment,” including being threatened with electrocution, having their clothes photographed on them, going without sleep, and having dogs used to scare them.
The remarks come after the New York Times published information on an internal study that UNRWA employees conducted to record the condition of detainees being returned at the Kerem Shalom crossing.
According to Lazzarini, “We have seen these people emerge from detention, some for a few weeks, some for a few months, and the majority of them returning (are) completely traumatized by the ordeal they have gone through.”
“We have in fact (compiled) an internal report about their experiences, and a number of people have been… debriefed about their ordeal.” He said that rights organizations that specialize in imprisonment had been informed about the findings.
Lazzarini’s remarks brought an end to a turbulent day in which Israel and UNRWA exchanged accusations, with Israel charging the organization with hiring over 450 “terrorists.” Additionally, Israel requested for meetings with the UN and recalled its ambassador after accusing the body of not doing enough to address allegations of sexual abuse against Israelis made by Hamas after the October 7 attacks.
According to a UN investigation released on Monday, there were “reasonable grounds to believe” that rapes had taken place during the Hamas attack and that hostages who were later transferred to Gaza had also been raped.
UNRWA reported that Israeli authorities had “detained several of its staff from the Gaza Strip” prior to Lazzarini’s remarks; these staff members subsequently testified about mistreatment while in detention.
