Gaza cease-fire talks, “emergency meeting” in Qatar, halted

Efforts for a truce in the Gaza Strip between Israel and Hamas have been met with inflexibility from both camps, an impasse that international mediators are expected to try to resolve on Monday during an “emergency meeting” in Qatar after seven months of war.

The Israeli army continued its attacks on Palestinian territory early in the night, killing 16 people from two families in and around Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip.

Rescuers reported nine deaths in the Al Attar family and another seven in the Keshta family. A hospital source confirmed the results of two Israeli attacks on Sunday evening “in the Yebna refugee camp in Rafah and in the vicinity of Al Salam”.

Shortly before that, Israel’s military told AFP that three of its soldiers were killed and 12 wounded on Sunday by rocket fire fired by Hamas’ armed wing around Kerem Shalom, the main crossing point for humanitarian aid from Israel to the Gaza Strip.

The Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades claimed responsibility for the fire, prompting Israel to close a crossing used to deliver aid to Gaza.

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The Israeli military reported on Monday morning X that it had intercepted an “enemy drone flying toward Israel.”

The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, a network of fighters from pro-Iranian armed groups, previously announced on Telegram that it had targeted the port of Eilat, at the southern tip of Israeli territory, the target of ballistic missiles intercepted by Yemen’s Houthis in February. rebels.

“Sabotage”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed on Sunday that Israel cannot “accept” the demands of the Islamist movement, which calls for a definitive cease-fire in Palestinian territory as a precondition for any deal, especially on the release of hostages kidnapped in October. 7 in Israel.

Despite international warnings, Benjamin Netanyahu continues to threaten to launch an offensive on the overcrowded town of Rafah, on the southern edge of the Gaza Strip, “with or without” a ceasefire agreement.

The leader of Hamas, Ismaïl Haniyeh, who is based in Qatar, earlier accused Mr Netanyahu of “sabotaging the efforts of the mediators” towards the truce, which is meeting in Cairo in Israel’s absence.

An offer by mediators Qatar, Egypt and the United States, presented to Hamas in late April, envisions a truce tied to the release of hostages held in the Gaza Strip in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.

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But a Hamas official said Sunday that the movement “will not under any circumstances accept an agreement that does not expressly provide for an end to the war.”

A delegation of Hamas in Cairo, which traveled to Doha on Sunday night for consultations, according to an official of the Islamist movement, must return to Egypt on Tuesday “to complete the negotiations”, according to the media close to the Egyptian intelligence services, Al-Qahera News.

Lack of progress

After the stop in Cairo, according to the American media, the head of the American intelligence service, William Burns, is expected on Monday in Qatar, the main mediating country, according to a source close to the negotiations.

“In the absence of progress” during discussions in Cairo, Mr Burns must have an “urgent meeting with the prime minister” of the emirate, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdelrahmane Al Thani, “to discuss ways to get the negotiations back on track”, according to this source.

However, Mr. Netanyahu warned “leaders around the world that no pressure, no decision by an international body will prevent Israel from defending itself.”

“If Israel must be left alone, Israel will be left alone,” insisted the Israeli prime minister, condemning the “terrible volcano of anti-Semitism” that, according to him, is spreading throughout the world against Israel.

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The leader also announced his government’s decision to close the Qatar-based Al-Jazeera channel’s Israel office, whose signal was interrupted.

Al-Jazeera, which has given wide coverage to the war in Gaza, condemned the “criminal” decision.

The war broke out on October 7 when Hamas commandos infiltrating from Gaza launched an unprecedented attack in southern Israel, resulting in the deaths of more than 1,170 people, mostly civilians, according to AFP.

During the attack, more than 250 people were abducted and 128 remained trapped in Gaza, including 35 who died, according to the army.

On Sunday, the Forum of Hostage Families once again called on Mr. Netanyahu to accept a deal that would allow the release of the hostages.

“Mr. Netanyahu, history will not forgive you if you miss this opportunity,” the text reads.

Concern in Rafa

The Israeli offensive launched in the Gaza Strip in retaliation for the Oct. 7 attack has so far left 34,683 dead, according to Hamas’ health ministry, which counted 29 dead in 24 hours on Sunday.

In the Gaza Strip, which was bombed at several points on Sunday, a resident of Rafah worried about the possibility of a possible Israeli offensive expressed concern about the stalled negotiations.

“Yesterday at this time we were very optimistic and were waiting for the announcement of a ceasefire. Today we are on the edge,” 59-year-old resident Najat Shaat told AFP.

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Israel has vowed to destroy the Islamist movement, in power in Gaza since 2007, which it considers a terrorist organization along with the United States and the European Union.

In order to achieve “final victory” and free the hostages, Benjamin Netanyahu continues to declare that he will launch a ground offensive on Rafah, where four Hamas battalions are grouped towards Israel.

This border town with Egypt became the final refuge for hundreds of thousands of civilians who fled the war further north. According to the World Health Organization, 1.2 million Palestinians, or half of the territory’s population, are still there.

Many capitals, including Washington, and humanitarian organizations fear heavy civilian casualties in the event of an offensive on the city, a major land crossing point for humanitarian aid.

Challenge (with AFP)