2024-08-15 08:58:02
TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — International mediators are scheduled to hold a new round of talks Thursday aimed at halting the war between Israel and Hamas and securing the release of dozens of hostages. A possible agreement may be the best option to avoid a larger regional conflict.
The United States, Qatar and Egypt are to meet an Israeli delegation in Qatar as the Palestinian death toll in the 10-month war hovers around 40,000. Hamas has not confirmed its involvement and accused Israel of making new demands in an evolving proposal backed by Washington and the international community.
A ceasefire in Gaza could calm tensions across the region and convince Iran and the Lebanese militia Hezbollah not to launch retaliatory attacks against Israel, after one of the group’s top commanders was killed in an Israeli attack and Hamas’ political leadership People die in explosion in Lebanon.
For months, mediators have been trying to finalize a three-phase plan under which Hamas would release dozens of hostages captured in an Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel that prompted Israeli forces to withdrawal in exchange for a lasting truce in the fighting.
Initially, both sides accepted the plan announced by US President Biden on May 31. However, Hamas proposed an “amendment” and Israel demanded “clarification,” leading to both sides accusing each other of making new demands that they could not accept.
Hamas has rejected Israel’s latest calls, which include a persistent military presence on the border with Egypt and along the Gaza demarcation line, where it would register Palestinians returning to their homes in an effort to root out the rebels. Osama Hamdan, a spokesman for the group, told The Associated Press that Hamas was only interested in discussing the implementation of Biden’s vision, not in new negotiations on its content.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has denied his country’s new demands but has repeatedly expressed doubts about how long the ceasefire will last and said he remained committed to a “total victory” over Hamas and the liberation of all hostages.
The two sides also disagree over the details of the hostage-for-prisoner swap, including which Palestinians can be released and whether they will be deported. Hamas has called for the release of prominent rebels convicted of plotting attacks on Israeli victims.
The war began on October 7 when Hamas-led rebels crossed the heavily fortified border and launched an attack that shocked the country’s respected security and intelligence services. Militants attacked farming communities and military bases, killing about 1,200 people, mostly civilians.
In addition, they also took another 250 hostages. More than 100 people were released during November’s week-long ceasefire and 110 are believed to remain in Gaza, but Israeli authorities insist a third of them died on October 7 or in captivity. Seven people were rescued during the military operation.
Israel’s offensive has claimed nearly 40,000 Palestinian lives, according to Gaza’s health ministry, whose statistics do not distinguish between civilian victims and combatants. Air and ground attacks have wreaked havoc on the besieged coastal enclave and forced most of the 2.3 million residents to flee their homes, often multiple times.
A succession of evacuation orders and military operations has pushed hundreds of thousands of people into so-called humanitarian zones along the coast, where they live in crowded camps with few services. Aid organizations are having trouble delivering food and supplies, leading to famine alerts.
Hamas has suffered heavy losses, but its fighters have regrouped again and again, even in heavily damaged areas where rival forces have operated. The group’s top leader, Yahya Sinwar, one of the masterminds of the October 7 attack, is believed to be alive and hiding in the area, possibly in the group’s vast network of tunnels.
Hezbollah, for its part, is fighting Israel on its border, which Lebanese militias say is a front line supporting its ally Hamas. Other Iran-backed groups have attacked Israeli, U.S. and international targets in the region, triggering retaliation.
Iran and Israel first engaged in direct fighting in April after Iran retaliated against Israel for attacking its embassy in Syria and killing two of its generals. Many feared a repeat of the incident following the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, who was in the Islamic Republic for the inauguration of a new president. The incident has been widely blamed on Israel, which has not disclosed its involvement.
Hezbollah has also vowed revenge for the murder of its commander Fouad al-Shukur, raising concerns that the 2006 war between the insurgent group and Israel could have more devastating consequences.
Iran and Hezbollah have both said they do not want an all-out war and a ceasefire in Gaza could be an escape route amid growing threats and a buildup of military assets in the region.
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