Israeli-Palestinian conflict
April 30, 2024
11:08
Negotiations continue for an end to the fighting in Gaza and the release of hostages. From Saudi Arabia, the US Secretary of State is also pushing for the agreement: “A generous agreement from Israel, Hamas accepts”
There is still a wait for negotiations between Israel and Hamas on hostages and a ceasefire in Gaza. The delegation of the Palestinian military organization has left Cairo and will return with the response to the Israeli proposal, Egyptian television al Qahera reported.
“Hamas will return with a written response,” adds the broadcaster. Concerning the possibilities of an agreement “they are pressing Westerners and different Arab countries”.
The discussion between the two factions is centered on a agreement in two phases which would lead to a first stop the fighting with the release of some of a hundred hostages that is believed Hamas holds again in exchange for the release of the Palestinians held captive by Israel, while talks should then be held for a second phase for the release of the other hostages, including soldiers.
From “extraordinarily generous proposal on the part of Israel”, spoke yesterday the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who was visiting Saudi Arabia. The security pact between the White House and Riyadh “which includes the normalization of relations with Israel” is “almost concluded”, he also announced. At the same time the US Secretary of State reiterated the opposition of the USA to an Israeli offensive on Rafah, in the south of the Strip. “We have not yet seen a plan that allows us to believe that civilians can be effectively protected,” Blinken told a meeting of the World Economic Forum.
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An official from Cairo explained that Tel Aviv would lower the number of hostages it wants released in the first phase, compared to the previous request of 40, without clarifying what the new number is. According to this source, Israel has also shown flexibility in allowing residents to return to northern Gaza and “willingness to discuss” a “sustainable ceasefire” to the Palestinian enclave as part of the second phase of negotiations.
While the Ynet news site reports that Israeli Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi has approved the final plans for the military operation in Rafah and in the refugee camps in the center of the Strip: in the next 48-72 hours an agreement will be reached about the hostages or at the beginning of the invasion.
Negotiations continuing below the bombs. Another 34 Palestinians died yesterday due to Israeli bombing in the Rafah area – the last city in the Gaza Strip still in the hands of Hamas – according to the local Ministry of Health.
