After lengthy negotiations in Qatar, negotiators are almost done hammering out the specifics of a ceasefire in Gaza today. According to Reuters, the leaders of the UAE and Egypt agreed to keep in close communication over a settlement over the next few hours.
Optimism had been fueled by more than eight hours of talks in Doha. An agreement for a truce in the besieged enclave and the release of prisoners is closer than ever, according to officials from Israel, Hamas, and mediators Qatar, Egypt, and the United States.
Yesterday, Biden and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi discussed the discussions’ progress. Following the leaders’ phone conversation, the White House released a statement saying, “Both leaders committed to remain in close coordination over the coming hours, both directly and through their teams.”
Majed Al-Ansari, the spokeswoman for Qatar’s foreign ministry, had earlier told a news conference that a text message had been delivered to both parties and that discussions were underway over the final details.
However, a senior Hamas official told Reuters later yesterday that the Palestinian organization had not yet responded because it was still awaiting maps from Israel that would illustrate the withdrawal of its forces from Gaza.
A delegation from the Palestinian organization Islamic Jihad will travel to Doha for a ceasefire agreement in Gaza.
Separate from Hamas and also holding prisoners in Gaza, the Palestinian organization Islamic Jihad announced it will send a senior team to Doha to participate in the last-minute negotiations for a ceasefire agreement, according to Reuters.
The phased ceasefire, which would end more than a year of sporadic negotiations, might put an end to the conflict that destroyed Gaza, killed tens of thousands of Palestinians, left the majority of the enclave’s inhabitants homeless, and continues to murder dozens every day.
The broader Middle East, where Israel’s Gaza offensive has stoked strife in the West Bank, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, and Iraq and stoked concerns of a full-scale clash between Israel and Iran, may then see a reduction in tensions.
According to medics, an Israeli strike on Gaza’s Deir al-Balah killed at least ten Palestinians and injured others.
According to medics who spoke to Reuters, an Israeli attack on Gaza’s Deir al-Balah killed at least ten Palestinians and injured others.
Five individuals, including a lady, were killed in a separate attack on a Rafah home, while four others were hurt, according to medical personnel.
