”Negotiations between Israel and Hamas are heading for collapse” to reach a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and the release of the hostages still being held, a high-level Hamas source told Al-Mayadeen TV, which is close to Hezbollah, on condition of anonymity. Recent meetings in Qatar have not led to a breakthrough because Israel insists on maintaining a presence on the Philadelphia Route, the corridor along the border between Egypt and Gaza, the Hamas source said. Israel is also unwilling to give up its veto power over 65 Palestinian prisoners serving life sentences who could be released as part of a deal, he added.
The Hamas official said that “the negotiations are heading for collapse because of Israel’s refusal to respond to the mediators’ proposals to deal with current issues” and that Egypt, Qatar and the United States are also “frustrated” by Israeli demands.
Polio Vaccinations Begin Tomorrow in Gaza
Meanwhile, there is a commitment to humanitarian pauses in Gaza to allow for polio vaccinations to begin tomorrow, Sunday 1 September. WHO and partners “will begin the polio vaccination campaign in Gaza, with which we aim to reach more than 640,000 children under ten years of age. The campaign involves two doses of vaccine, administered in two cycles, four weeks apart. I welcome the commitment to humanitarian pauses in specific areas to allow for the vaccination campaign to take place,” said the Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. Vaccination teams “must be protected and allowed to conduct campaigns safely. We urge all parties to ensure their protection, and that of health facilities and children.”
“The campaign – explained the DG – will be implemented with a phased approach over three days for each round, starting in central Gaza, followed by southern Gaza and then northern Gaza. Due to insecurity, damage to roads and infrastructure, and population movements and displacements, it is unlikely that 3 days in each area will be sufficient to achieve adequate coverage. Vaccination coverage will be monitored throughout the campaign, and it has been agreed that vaccination will be extended by one day where necessary”.
Israeli raid against convoy organized by US NGOs, victims
An Israeli air strike on a humanitarian convoy carrying medical supplies and fuel, organized by a US NGO and headed to a hospital in Rafah, has caused casualties. Five people died, employees of a local transport company, the Washington Post reported. The victims were traveling in the vehicle at the head of the convoy.
The vehicle was hit by a missile. Israel claims the aid vehicles had been seized by militants. The Washington-based NGO American Near East Refugee Aid (Anera) denounced the incident in a statement, but said four people had died, all Palestinians.
IDF: “Hamas leader killed in Jenin”
The IDF, Shin Bet and Israeli police said that the commander of Hamas’s military wing in Jenin, Wissam Hazem, was killed along with two other militants in clashes and drone strikes in the northern West Bank early Thursday morning. The Israeli military said that during an operation in the northern West Bank, the military detected a cell of armed men in a car in the town of Zababdeh, in the Jenin area.
Undercover Border Police officers opened fire on the car, killing Hazem, while the other two gunmen fled, the joint statement said. Shortly afterward, a drone struck and killed the two militants, the Times of Israel said.
According to Israeli authorities, Hazem was involved in numerous shootings and attacks and was preparing further attacks against Israel. The other two gunmen killed by the drone were identified by the IDF as Maysara Masharqa and Arafat Amer. The army says they were Hamas members working on behalf of Hazem and were also involved in armed attacks against Israeli communities.
IDF: “Operation Khan Yunis and Deir al-Balah concluded, 250 militants killed”
Meanwhile, the IDF’s 98th Division announced that it had concluded its ground operation in Khan Yunis and Deir al-Balah, in the southern Gaza Strip, after about a month. The IDF explained that during the operation, conducted on the surface and in underground tunnels, they “eliminated more than 250 terrorists and destroyed dozens of terrorist infrastructures.” Six tunnels were also destroyed by the Corps of Engineers and Paratroopers.
Hamas: “PNA Collaborates with IDF for Arrest Campaign in West Bank”
Hamas has accused the Palestinian Authority (PNA) of conducting “an arrest campaign” against its men in the West Bank. The New Arab newspaper reported, explaining that according to Hamas, the PNA has carried out targeted arrests of “resistance fighters, activists and released prisoners” in Nablus, in the northern West Bank, in recent days. Hamas has also accused the Palestinian Authority of collaborating and supporting IDF operations in Jenin and Tulkarem in recent days.
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