Gaza ceasefire talks resumed once again in Cairo on Sunday as Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gave the green light for fresh negotiations. Reportedly, Israel's PM was forced to resume the talks as thousands gathered in Israel seeking Netanyahu’s resignation amid the deepening crisis.
Egypt, Qatar and the US have mediated the previous round of negotiations but a workable agreement has remained elusive. Though efforts were made to halt the firing before the start of Ramadan, the holy month, the negotiations were not fruitful.
Netanyahu had approved the new round of talks on a ceasefire on Friday. Reportedly, Hamas will not be present at the talks in Cairo.
In Tel Aviv, thousands of people, including families of the hostages, blocked a major road on Saturday criticising the government’s handling of the war. The security forces were struggling to “maintain public order” as protesters blocked the main road on Kaplan Street.
Protesters demanded early elections and sought Netanyahu’s resignation. “We have seen how personal political interest motives him again and again in making decisions. How his concern for the coalition outweighs the return of our kidnapped loved ones. It is a complete failure,” The Times of Israel quoted Ayala Metzger, whose father-in-law was taken as a hostage by the Hamas during the October 7 attack.
Hamas’ demands
Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) had put forward four basic demands for the success of ceasefire negotiations. Discussions on the Gaza truce were held on Friday between the Hamas delegation, led by the head of its political bureau, Ismail Haniyeh, and a PIJ delegation, led by its Secretary-General, Ziyad al-Nakhalah.
Hamas in a statement said that if its demands are met then they would release the hostages as part of a prisoner exchange deal.
"A complete halt to the (Israeli) aggression, a full withdrawal of the occupation from all of the Gaza Strip, the freedom of return for the displaced (to the north), and the entry of aid to meet the needs of our people in the Strip," Hamas said in a statement.
Meanwhile, the death toll in Gaza reached 32,782. As many as 75,298 people got injured. According to the Gaza health ministry, at least 75 people were killed overnight in new Israeli bombardment and ground combat.
In the southern Gaza Strip city of Khan Younis, Israeli forces continued to blockade the two main hospitals, and tanks shelled areas in the middle and eastern areas of the territory.
Palestinian health officials said an Israeli air strike killed nine people in Bani Suhaila near Khan Younis.
Amid Israel-Lebanon tensions, four United Nations military observers were wounded after a shell exploded near them while patrolling along the southern Lebanese border. The UN condemned the shelling in Lebanon.
The military observers were part of the UN peacekeeping mission in Lebanon. United Nations Truce Supervision Organization supports the peacekeeping mission in southern Lebanon--UNIFIL.
