Abdullah Abu Deif (Gaza, Cairo)
Over the past few days, efforts to reach a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip have accelerated, after the war approached the completion of its fourth month, with tens of thousands of deaths and injuries and an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe. Yesterday, hopes for reaching an agreement increased with the US Secretary of State confirming that “ “There is real hope moving forward.”
US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken expressed hope of reaching an agreement to stop the fighting in Gaza in exchange for the release of hostages, after talks in Paris in which the director of the US Central Intelligence Agency participated.
Blinken told reporters in Washington: “Very important and constructive work has been done… and there is some real hope as we move forward.”
The French capital, Paris, hosted talks between CIA Director William Burns and senior officials from Egypt, Qatar and Israel to discuss a truce agreement in Gaza.
In Israel, opposition leader Yair Lapid announced yesterday his support for any prospective deal that might lead to the release of detainees. In a message of reassurance to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, after National Security Minister Ben Gvir threatened to terminate the government if it agreed to the deal.
The opposition leader said in a tweet on his “X” account that his party would support the government on any deal that would return the hostages to their homes.
Informed sources indicate that there is a proposal for a new truce in the war in Gaza, which includes three stages, including the release of hostages held in the Strip and Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons, with the first stage including the release of women, children, the elderly, and the wounded.
A truce was reached at the end of last November, during which more than 100 of the approximately 250 hostages held since the October 7 attack, as well as Palestinian detainees, women and minors, were released from Israeli prisons. The fighting was also suspended for a week and aid was brought into Gaza.
According to the Israeli authorities, 132 hostages are still being held in the Gaza Strip, 28 of whom are believed to have died.
Jamal Nazzal, a leader in the Palestinian Fatah movement, said that the recent negotiations to reach a ceasefire represent a positive point, which must be supported by working to accelerate their pace and reach a formula requiring the establishment of a Palestinian state at the end of the negotiations.
For his part, the Palestinian politician, Abdel Fattah Dawla, said that the situation in the Gaza Strip is critical and leading to an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe, calling for the necessity of implementing the United Nations and Security Council resolution, to prevent the targeting of civilians and the entry of more international and humanitarian aid through the Rafah crossing.
Abdel Fattah Dawla added that the various initiatives presented on the international scene indicate the international community’s interest in the Palestinian issue, which remains the most important outstanding international issue due to its sensitivity and importance.
He pointed out that putting forward the initiatives is positive, but without working to quickly implement them on the ground, human suffering will continue and multiply during the coming period, especially with the inability of humanitarian organizations to carry out their role due to the military escalation on the ground, especially in the Gaza Strip, which has turned into a zone. Completely devastated due to the continuation of military operations for about 5 months.
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