Hamas seeks ‘guarantees’ that Israel will end Gaza war as talks continue

Hamas and Israel person concluded a 2nd time of indirect negotiations connected United States President Donald Trump’s connection to extremity the warfare connected Gaza, arsenic elder Qatari and US officials headed to Egypt to articulation the talks.

Speaking astatine the White House connected the 2nd day of the commencement of the war, Trump said that determination was a “real chance” of a Gaza deal, arsenic Tuesday’s talks wrapped up successful the Egyptian edifice municipality of Sharm el-Sheikh.

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However, the time had opened with an umbrella of Palestinian factions – including Hamas – issuing a connection that promised a “resistance stance by each means”, stressing that “no 1 has the close to cede the weapons of the Palestinian people” – an evident notation to a cardinal request for the disarmament of the equipped radical contained successful Trump’s 20-point plan.

Senior Hamas authoritative Fawzi Barhoum said that the group’s negotiators were seeking an extremity to the warfare and “complete withdrawal of the concern army” from Gaza. But Trump’s program is vague regarding the exit of Israeli troops, offering nary circumstantial timeline for the staged rollout, which would lone hap aft Hamas returns the 48 Israeli captives it inactive holds, 20 of whom are thought to beryllium alive.

A elder Hamas authoritative who spoke to Al Jazeera connected information of anonymity aft Tuesday’s talks indicated that the radical intends to merchandise captives successful stages linked to the withdrawal of Israel’s subject from Gaza.

The authoritative said that Tuesday’s talks had focused connected scheduling the merchandise of Israeli captives and withdrawal maps for Israeli forces, with the radical stressing that the merchandise of the past Israeli hostage indispensable coincide with the last withdrawal of Israeli forces.

Hamas’s apical negotiator, Khalil al-Hayya, said the radical did “not spot the occupation, not adjacent for a second”, according to Egyptian state-linked Al Qahera News. He said Hamas wanted “real guarantees” that the warfare would extremity and not beryllium restarted, accusing Israel of violating 2 ceasefires successful the warfare connected Gaza.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu released a connection to people the day of the Hamas-led onslaught connected confederate Israel connected October 7, 2023, that sparked Israel’s warfare connected Gaza, calling the past 2 years of struggle a “war for our precise beingness and future”.

He said that Israel was “in fateful days of decision”, without alluding straight to the ceasefire talks. Israel, helium said, would “continue to enactment to execute each the war’s objectives: the instrumentality of each the hostages, the elimination of Hamas’s rule, and ensuring that Gaza volition nary longer airs a menace to Israel”.

Staying flexible

Despite signs of continued differences, the talks look to beryllium the astir promising motion of advancement towards ending the warfare yet, with Israel and Hamas some endorsing galore parts of Trump’s plan.

Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Majed al-Ansari said the mediators – Qatar, Egypt and Turkiye – were staying flexible and processing ideas arsenic the ceasefire talks progress.

“We don’t spell with preconceived notions to the negotiations. We make these formulations during the talks themselves, which is happening close now,” helium said.

Al-Ansari told Al Jazeera that Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani volition articulation different mediators – including Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner for the US – connected Wednesday successful Egypt.

Sheikh Mohammed’s “participation confirms the mediators’ determination to scope an statement that ends the war”, al-Ansari said.

Even if a woody is clinched, questions linger astir who volition govern Gaza and rebuild it, and who volition concern the immense outgo of reconstruction.

Trump and Netanyahu person ruled retired immoderate relation for Hamas, with the former’s program proposing that Palestinian “technocrats” tally day-to-day affairs successful Gaza nether an planetary transitional governance assemblage – the alleged “Board of Peace” – that would beryllium overseen by Trump himself and the divisive erstwhile United Kingdom Prime Minister Tony Blair.

Hamas’s Barhoum said the radical wanted to spot “the contiguous commencement of the broad reconstruction process nether the supervision of a Palestinian nationalist body”.

Israeli attacks continue

The 2nd day of the war, which was sparked by deadly attacks connected Israel that were led by Hamas connected October 7, 2023, saw Israel pressing connected with its violative successful Gaza, drones and combatant jets strafing the skies, targeting the Sabra and Tal al-Hawa residential areas successful Gaza City and the roadworthy to adjacent Shati camp.

At slightest 10 Palestinians were killed successful Israeli attacks crossed Gaza connected Tuesday, according to the authoritative Palestinian quality bureau Wafa, adding to the grim toll of much than 66,600 deaths implicit the full conflict. At slightest 104 radical person been killed successful Gaza by Israeli forces since Friday, the time Trump called connected Israel to halt its bombing campaign.

Al Jazeera’s Hind Khoudary said connected Tuesday that a lad had been changeable successful the caput successful eastbound Gaza and that astatine slightest six Palestinians were killed successful abstracted attacks crossed Khan Younis successful the southbound of the Strip.

“Everyone’s waiting for a bid woody arsenic the bombs proceed to fall,” she said, reporting from az-Zuwayda successful cardinal Gaza. “The Israeli forces proceed destroying full residential neighbourhoods and residential areas wherever Palestinians thought they would spell backmost and rebuild their lives.”

Marking the anniversary, ACLED, a US-based struggle monitor, said Gaza has endured much than 11,110 aerial and drone strikes and astatine slightest 6,250 shelling and artillery attacks passim the war. Gaza’s dormant accounted for 14 percent of full reported deaths from conflicts worldwide implicit the past 2 years.

The Gaza Health Ministry said 1,701 aesculapian unit had been killed successful Gaza during the war.