Ceasefire Negotiations in Paris for Gaza Show Positive Signs: Report

Ceasefire Negotiations in Paris for Gaza Show Positive Signs: Report

Asif Iqbal | February 23, 2024 | 11:06 PM IST | World | Follow on Google News

Ceasefire Negotiations in Paris for Gaza Show Positive Signs: Report

Ceasefire Negotiations in Paris for Gaza Show Positive Signs: Report

Gaza truce talks were under way in Paris on Friday, in what appears to be the most serious push for weeks to halt the fighting in the battered Palestinian enclave and see Israeli and foreign hostages released.

A source briefed on the ceasefire talks, who could not be identified by name or nationality, said talks had begun with Israel’s head of Mossad intelligence service meeting separately with each party – Qatar, Egypt and United States.

“There are budding signs of optimism about being able to move forward toward the start of a serious negotiation,” the source said. Egypt’s Al Qahera TV News also reported that the talks had begun.

An official from Hamas said the group had wrapped up ceasefire talks in Cairo and was now waiting to see what mediators bring back from the weekend talks with Israel.

Mediators have ramped up efforts to secure a ceasefire in Gaza, in the hope of heading off an Israeli assault on the Gaza city of Rafah where more than a million displaced people are sheltering at the southern edge of the enclave.

Two Egyptian security sources confirmed that Egyptian intelligence chief Abbas Kamel would head on Friday to Paris for the talks with the Israelis, after wrapping up talks with Hamas chief Haniyeh on Thursday. Israel has not publicly commented on the Paris talks.

The Hamas official, who asked not to be identified, said thegroup did not offer any new proposal at the talks with the Egyptians, but was waiting to see what the mediators brought back from their upcoming talks with the Israelis.

We discussed our proposal with them (the Egyptians) and we are going to wait until they return from Paris,” the Hamas official said.

The last time similar talks were held in Paris, at the start of February, they produced an outline for the first extended ceasefire of the war, approved by Israel and the United States. Hamas responded with a counterproposal, which Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu then rejected as “delusional”.

Hamas, which is still believed to be holding more than 100 hostages seized in the Oct. 7 attack on Israel that triggered the war, says it will free them only as part of a truce that ends with an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. Israel says it will not pull out until Hamas is eradicated.

Late on Thursday, Netanyahu presented his security cabinet with an official plan for Gaza once the fighting stops. He emphasised that Israel expects to maintain security control over the enclave after destroying Hamas, and also sees no role there for the Palestinian Authority (PA) based in the West Bank.

Washington favours a role for a reformed PA.

Two Palestinian officials familiar with the negotiations said Hamas has not changed its stance in the latest push to reach a deal, and still demands that a truce end with an Israeli pullout.

Rafah Under Fire

Israeli planes and tanks pounded areas across Gaza Strip overnight, residents and health officials said. The Gaza health ministry said 104 people had been killed and 160 others were wounded in Israeli military strikes in the past 24 hours.

The Israeli military said it had killed dozens of fighters and seized weapons across Gaza since Thursday.

In Rafah, where over half of Gaza’s 2.3 million people are sheltering, an Israeli air strike on a house killed 10 people.

At a morgue in Rafah, a family knelt by the body of their child, killed by overnight Israeli strikes. They tenderly touched and stroked the small body through a shroud.

Airstrikes also killed civilians overnight in Deir al-Balah, in central Gaza, one of the few other areas yet to be stormed by the Israelis. In video obtained by Reuters, bereaved families crowded a hospital, where Ahmed Azzam held up the body of his dead baby son wrapped in a shroud, shouting: “You killed them Netanyahu. You killed this innocent child!”

Israel says it is doing its best to minimize harm to civilians as it battles Hamas in urban areas.

At least 29,514 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli strikes on Gaza since Oct.7, the Gaza health ministry said on Friday.

Israel launched its months-long military campaign after fighters from Hamas-ruled Gaza killed 1,200 people and took 253 hostages in southern Israel on Oct 7.

(Except for the headline, this news story has not been edited by VoM News staff and is published from Reuters)

Asif Iqbal

Asif Iqbal is a seasoned news writer with a passion for delivering the latest updates to the public. Currently serving as the senior writer at VoM News, a prominent news outlet known for its comprehensive coverage of diverse topics, Asif has established himself as a reliable source of information. With a keen eye for detail and a knack for storytelling, he consistently provides readers with well-crafted articles that cover a wide range of news categories. His dedication to journalistic integrity and his commitment to staying ahead of the news curve make him an invaluable asset to Vom News, ensuring that readers are always well-informed on the issues that matter most. You can find his work and stay updated on current events by visiting vomnews.in.