All peace negotiations between Israel and Hamas have ended. The Israeli broadcaster Kan has reported that the two belligerents couldn’t agree on what the “end of the war” would look like.
“Major disagreements” were cited for the ending of the peace talks. Haaretz has confirmed the “impasse” in the talks, which were mediated by Qatar and Egypt.
Israel Invades Rafah Just Hours After Hamas Accepted A Ceasefire Agreement
Hostilities in Gaza broke out last October after Hamas militants staged a deadly incursion into Israeli territory, killing an estimated 1,200 people and abducting hundreds more, most of them civilians. Israel retaliated with a military campaign against the armed group, subjecting the densely populated Palestinian enclave to months of heavy aerial bombardment. According to Hamas-controlled health authorities in Gaza, Israel’s military operation has claimed the lives of more than 35,000 Palestinians, with nearly 80,000 sustaining injuries. –RT
So far, all ceasefire efforts by middlemen such as the United States, Qatar, and Egypt have been unsuccessful. According to RT, in a report released on Friday, Kan alleged that the negotiations “are not taking place at the moment” since “Egypt and Qatar have adopted the position of Hamas.” According to the media outlet, the mediators suggested sealing a ceasefire in exchange for the release of hostages.
One hang-up continues to be Israel’s refusal to release hostages “unconditionally.”
On Saturday, Israel’s Haaretz, citing an unnamed foreign source familiar with the talks, also reported that the negotiations “are currently at an impasse, and there is no progress.” These negotiations could also be stalled because of the retrieval of the remains of dead hostages that were being held by Hamas.
The announcement regarding the recovery and identification of the bodies of four Israeli hostages returned the plight of the hostages to its proper place in the public agenda, after receding from the top news headlines over the past two weeks, according to Haaretz.
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