Ceasefire talks in Gaza are expected to resume on Sunday

2024-03-16 16:16:19, Kosova & Bota CNA

Ceasefire talks in Gaza are expected to resume on Sunday

A Palestinian boy sits in the rubble of a war-torn building in the Gaza Strip, March 9, 2024.

Talks to reach a cease-fire deal in the war between Israel and Hamas - the group designated as a terrorist by the United States and the European Union - are expected to resume on Sunday in Qatar, Egyptian officials said.

Mediators had hoped to secure a temporary six-week ceasefire before the start of the holy month of Ramadan last week, but Hamas rejected the deal which did not include a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, a demand rejected by Israel.

In recent days, however, both sides have shown willingness to resume talks, which have stalled.

Hamas gave mediators a new three-part plan to end the war, said Egyptian officials, one involved in the talks and one briefed on them. They spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to disclose the sensitive content of the talks.

The first part would be a six-week ceasefire, during which 35 hostages - women, elderly and sick - who are being held by Hamas members in Gaza would be released in exchange for 350 Palestinian prisoners in Israel.

Hamas would also release at least five female soldiers in exchange for 50 prisoners, including some serving serious sentences for terrorism. Israeli forces would withdraw from two main roads into Gaza, allow displaced Palestinians to return to northern Gaza, which has been devastated by fighting, and allow humanitarian aid to enter that part, officials said.

In the second part, both sides would declare a permanent ceasefire and Hamas would release the remaining Israeli soldiers being held hostage in exchange for the release of more Palestinians, according to officials.

In the third part, Hamas would hand over the troops it is holding, while Israel would lift its blockade of Gaza and allow reconstruction of the enclave to begin, they said.

The Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, has described this proposal as "unrealistic".

However, he has agreed to send Israeli negotiators to Qatar for talks.

The talks are expected to resume on Sunday afternoon, although they may be delayed until Monday, according to Egyptian officials.

Netanyahu's government has rejected calls for a permanent cease-fire in Gaza, insisting that it must first fulfill its goal of "rooting out Hamas."

Israel's deadly war in the Palestinian enclave began after Hamas militants swept into southern Israel on October 7, 2023, killing 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking 250 hostages.

More than 31,000 Palestinians have been killed in the Gaza Strip since then, according to Palestinian health authorities, by Israel's air, sea and ground offensive, which has wreaked havoc in the enclave.