Cairo/Tel Aviv: Another round of indirect negotiations on the Gaza war came to an end on Sunday in the Egyptian capital Cairo, with representatives from Hamas set to head to Qatar next for consultation with their leadership, according to the group.
The Hamas delegation had delivered a response to the mediators’ proposals and discussed them with the representatives of Egypt and Qatar, the organization wrote on its Telegram channel.
The delegation planned to leave Cairo on Sunday evening and consult with the organization’s leaders in Qatar, it said.
The latest round of negotiations to find a solution to the months-long conflict in Gaza had begun on Saturday. Israel had not sent a delegation as the government wanted to wait and see whether Hamas would accept the latest proposal from the mediators, which also includes the US.
This envisages a multi-stage agreement between Israel and Hamas, which should lead to the release of the remaining Israeli hostages held in Gaza, the release of Palestinian prisoners from Israeli prisons and an end to the war in Gaza.
Negotiations for a solution to the conflict have stalled for months, following a brief ceasefire in November, with Israel and Hamas trading blame for the lack of progress.
The Gaza war was triggered by the unprecedented massacre of more than 1,200 people killed by militants from Hamas and other groups in Israel on October 7. They also abducted some 250 people to Gaza.
Israel responded with massive airstrikes and a ground offensive. As of Friday, the Hamas-controlled Health Ministry said the death toll in Gaza from Israeli attacks stood at more than 34,600.
In its statement on Sunday, Hamas emphasized that it was conducting the negotiations “in a positive spirit and responsibly.” However, a breakthrough did not appear to be on the horizon.
The Palestinian group is insisting on an agreement in which Israel commits from the outset to ending the war and completely withdrawing its troops from the Gaza Strip.
However, Israel denies such a commitment and wants to reserve the right to take further military action.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday again reiterated his stance that the country will continue the war in Gaza until all of its objectives have been achieved, and again blamed Hamas for the stalled negotiations over a temporary ceasefire.
“Capitulating to Hamas’s demands would be a terrible defeat for the State of Israel,” Netanyahu said on Sunday in a video message. “It would be a great victory for Hamas, Iran and the entire axis of evil. It would exhibit terrible weakness to our friends, and to our enemies.”
French President Emmanuel Macron called on Netanyahu to continue negotiations.
In a phone call on Sunday, Macron encouraged the Israeli premier to bring the negotiations, which could lead to de-escalation in the region, to a good end, according to reports from the Élysée Palace in Paris.
Macron also reportedly stressed that France’s priority remained the release of all hostages.
France fully supports the ongoing negotiations, it said. The fate of Palestinians in Gaza must no longer be subjected to the rule of Hamas while Israeli attacks on the coastal area must cease, according to the statement.
Meanwhile on the ground, the military wing of Hamas has claimed responsibility for rocket attacks in the area around the Kerem Shalom border crossing between Israel and the Gaza Strip.
The Qassam Brigades said Israeli troops were the target of Sunday’s attacks.
Kerem Shalom is on the border of Egypt, Israel and Gaza. It is one of the main transit points to bring humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip, where international aid organizations say parts of the population are starving after seven months of war.
The crossing was temporarily closed following the attack.
According to the Israeli army, three Israeli soldiers were killed in the attack and 11 others injured.
Hamas fired 10 rockets at the settlement Kerem Shalom near the crossing of the same name, a military spokesman said. The army responded by shelling a settlement near the southern crossing of Rafah, from where the attack had been launched.
(IANS)
