DOHA: According to sources, a fresh round of negotiations about a ceasefire in Gaza began on Thursday afternoon in the Qatari capital of Doha. The prime minister of Qatar, together with representatives from the US and Egypt, as well as Israel’s spy head, were present at the closed-door meeting.
After over 10 months of conflict, Gaza health officials announced separately that the dead toll in the Palestinian enclave had risen above 40,000. This was when the talks started.
The goal of the round of negotiations was to bring 115 Israeli and foreign prisoners back home and put an end to the violence in Gaza. Iran appeared ready to retaliate against Israel after Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh was killed in Tehran on July 31.
John Kirby, the White House’s national security spokesperson, acknowledged that formal negotiations had started, but he issued a warning that they would probably continue on Friday and were not expected to result in a deal on Thursday.
Hamas representatives did not attend the negotiations on Thursday despite accusing Israel of stalling. But after the meeting, mediators were to confer with Hamas’s Doha-based negotiation team, an official briefed on the discussions told Reuters.
Defense officials said on Wednesday that senior military official Nitzan Alon, head of the internal security service Ronen Bar, and intelligence chief David Barnea are among the team from Israel.
The discussions, which were called by Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, included Egypt’s intelligence head Abbas Kamel as well as CIA Director Bill Burns and US Middle East envoy Brett McGurk representing Washington.
The cease-fire negotiations, according to UK Foreign Minister David Lammy, are a “crucial moment for global stability” that may “define the future of the Middle East.”
Abbas is going to Gaza.
Mahmud Abbas, the president of the Palestinian Authority, announced Thursday that he would visit Gaza during a special session of the Turkish parliament. Abbas responded to cheers from Turkish legislators by saying, “I have decided to go to Gaza with other brothers from the Palestinian leadership.”
“I’ll take care of that,” Abbas stated, expressing himself in Turkish after speaking Arabic. “Even if it meant losing my life. Our lives are no more valuable than those of a youngster.
According to Abbas, the Israeli strikes will not deter the Palestinian people from standing up. “We own Gaza as a whole. He addressed the parliament, saying, “We reject any settlement that would divide our territories.
voids and disagreements
On Wednesday, a source within the Israeli negotiation team stated that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has given much room for interpretation on a number of the major issues.
The timing of a prisoner release, the existence of Israeli military in Gaza, and the limitations on the freedom of movement of residents from southern to northern Gaza are among the gaps.
Sami Abu Zuhri, a senior Hamas official, told Reuters on Thursday that his organization is dedicated to the peace process and asked mediators to ensure Israel’s adherence to a proposal that Hamas accepted in early July. According to Abu Zuhri, this proposal would put an end to the conflict and necessitate the complete evacuation of Israeli troops from Gaza.
