“Hamas and Israel close to an agreement”: glimmers of a ceasefire in the Middle East
The Israeli newspaper Haaretz writes this, citing Arabic press sources. Talks have been underway in Egypt since this morning
ROME – Hamas would be “closer than ever” to accepting the draft Israeli agreement for the ceasefire in Gaza: the newspaper writes Israeli Haaretz,citing Arabic press sources. Since this morning, talks have been underway in Egypt with the leaders of the Palestinian movement, also mediated by representatives of Qatar.
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According to rumours, Hamas has received “guarantees” from the United States on the complete withdrawal of the Israeli army from the Gaza Strip, and that Tel Aviv will end the operation against the enclave once regained its citizens, held hostage since last October 7th. In this case, a permanent ceasefire would be implemented, a condition necessary for Hamas for any agreement. However, this possibility would have already been rejected by the executive led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu: Haaretz quotes an Israeli official on condition of anonymity, according to whom “Israel, under no circumstances, will agree to put an end to war as part of an agreement”. Israel also remains “determined to enter Rafah”. In any case, the wait remains for the response from Hamas.
SAUDI MEDIA: “ISRAEL WOULD BE WILLING TO RELEASE FATAH LEADER”
The Saudi newspaper Al-Sharq News spreads another indiscretion, this time on the issue of the exchange between Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners: Israel would be willing to release the leader of the Fatah party, Marwan Barghouti, arrested in 2002 and sentenced to life imprisonment. However, Tel Aviv officials have clarified that the release will have to take place in Gaza, and not in the West Bank, where the politician is detained. Al-Sharq news adds that Hamas would have proposed, in its draft agreement,the release of twenty Palestinian prisoners sentenced to life imprisonmentin exchange for the release of an Israeli soldier. Since between five and six female soldiers would be in the hands of Hamas, the group could obtain the release of around a hundred prisoners
THE POSITION OF THE UNITED STATES
In recent hours the White House, through the American Secretary of State Antony Blinken, returned to asking Israel to renounce the armed offensive against Rafah, a city south of the Strip which it currently hosts 1.5 million Palestinians, including residents and displaced people from every corner of Gaza, out of the total population of 2.3 million. “It would be beyond acceptable,” Blinken said. In addition to the threat of ongoing attacks and the large-scale attack promised by Israel, the population of Gaza is faced with a shortage of humanitarian aid, which is in short supply especially in the north of the Strip, due to Israeli forces who continue to prevent the arrival of the convoys. In the north in particular, according to the United Nations “a full-blown famine” has now exploded, which is “moving towards the south”. This was declared by Cindy McCain, head of the United Nations World Food Program (WFP / WFP). “We continue to call for a ceasefire and for safe, unrestricted access to enter Gaza,” McCain added. Every day, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) warned, on average 37 children lose their mothers due to violence and difficulty in accessing medical care.
