An Israeli delegation will travel to the capital of Qatar, Doha, this Sunday afternoon to resume negotiations on a possible ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, after Hamas announced on Thursday evening a counteroffer that was almost immediately rejected by the Qatari government Benjamin Netanyahu.
“The War Cabinet and the Security Cabinet will meet tomorrow,” the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office reported this evening, to prepare for the departure of the negotiating delegation.
Arriving in Doha, the Israeli delegation, led, as on other occasions, by the head of the Mossad, met David Barneawill meet with Egyptian and Qatari authorities, Egyptian intelligence sources told EFE today.
The talks will address key points of contention between Israel and Hamas, including the number of Palestinian prisoners to be released in exchange for the hostages and the provision of humanitarian aid in Gaza.
After more than a month of unsuccessful negotiations in Cairo and Paris, which, as expected, failed to reach a ceasefire in early March, the Hamas proposal maintains the permanent end to the Gaza war as a primary goal, but is more flexible overall in the number of prisoners to be released .
In a first temporary ceasefire lasting six weeks, Hamas is proposing the exchange of about 35 Israeli hostages (women, the sick and the elderly) for 350 Palestinian prisoners, Hebrew media familiar with the draft reported today.
Furthermore, he suggests Exchange of five captured Israeli soldiers in exchange for 50 Palestinian prisoners for each of them, including some who were sentenced to life imprisonment, according to the Egyptian source.
According to the source, Hamas is also calling on Israeli forces to abandon two main roads in Gaza and allow the return of displaced people to the north and the distribution of aid.
The second phase initiated by Hamas envisages the bilateral declaration of a permanent ceasefire and the release by Hamas of the remaining living hostages, including Israeli soldiers.
The third phase involves Hamas handing over the lifeless bodies of the remaining prisoners, local media reported today, on the condition that the “siege” ends and the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip begins, requirements confirmed by a Hamas source. Egyptian.
“Hamas’ demands are still unrealistic,” Netanyahu said in a succinct statement on Friday, approving the army’s military plan to invade Rafah by land drawn up at the end of February, without revealing any details. how they want to protect 1.4 million displaced Gazans.
In Gaza, in the absence of a ceasefire and after more than five months of war, the 31,500 dead and more than 74,500 injuredAccording to the Hamas-controlled Ministry of Health, the majority are women and children. In addition, according to UNICEF, one in three children under the age of two in the north suffers from malnutrition.
In the early hours of Saturday, the Israeli bombing of a four-story building in the Nuseirat refugee camp killed another 36 civilians, including children and two pregnant women – all members of the Tabatibi family and some displaced from the northern center of the strip.
Muhammad Tabatibi, 19, was injured in the left hand during the airstrike, which took place at suhoor time – when Muslims break their fast just before dawn – but survived.
“This is my mother, this is my father, this is my aunt and these are my brothers,” Muhammad explains to EFE. “My mother and aunt were preparing the Suhoor… They all died as martyrs. I don’t know why they bombed the house and carried out this massacre,” he asks.
Outside the Gaza Strip, hundreds of Israelis demonstrated in the capitals Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Caesarea and Ber Sheeva on Saturday evening, demanding early elections and the end of the Netanyahu government.
Also in Tel Aviv, at today’s Hostage Square, some relatives of Hamas’s 134 prisoners, more than thirty of whom are believed to be already dead, this time called for a ceasefire to save Hamas’ lives of their loved ones.
“It is sad that after 161 days it is still necessary to meet every week. We want an agreement as quickly as possible. The world must demand from Hamas: ‘Release the hostages, men and women, now!'” he told this demonstration. German Ambassador to Israel, Stefan Seibert.