Israel and enthusiasm begin talks in Qatar, while Netanyahu heads to Washington
Delegations from Israel and Hamas started an indirect round of ceasefire talks in Qatar, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is going to Washington to meet Donald Trump.
Netanyahu said he believed that his meeting with the US President on Monday should help in making efforts to reach an agreement to issue more hostages and a ceasefire in Gaza.
He said that he gave negotiations clear instructions to achieve a ceasefire agreement under circumstances that accepted Israel.
Hamas said it had responded to the latest ceasefire proposal in a positive spirit, but it seems clear that there are still gaps between the two sides who need to fill if any deal is agreed.
At the present time, Hamas still seems to hold on the same conditions that it insisted on – including an end guarantee of all hostilities at the end of any truce and withdrawal of Israeli forces.
The Netanyahu government has rejected this before.
The Israeli position may not have turned into a large degree. While he was leaving Israel to the United States, Netanyahu said he was still committed to what he described as three missions: “The launch of all hostages, their return, living and falling, destroying Hamas’s capabilities – to expel them from there, and to ensure that Gaza will not pose a threat to Israel.”
Qatari and Egyptian brokers will cut their work during the indirect talks between Israel and Hamas in an attempt to overcome these attached points, which have come out of other initiatives since the previous ceasefire ended in March.
Since then, Israel has resumed its attack against Hamas with great intensity, in addition to imposing a 11 -week siege upon entering Gaza, which was partially lifted several weeks ago.
The Israeli government says that these measures aim to weaken Hamas, force them to negotiate and liberate the hostages.
Within the past 24 hours, the Israeli army says it hit 130 targets in Hamas and killed a number of militants.
But the cost in civil life in Gaza also continues to grow. Hospital in Gaza said more than 30 people were killed on Sunday.
The question now is not only whether the talks in Qatar can achieve an acceptable compromise for both sides – but also whether Trump can persuade Netanyahu that the war should end at their meeting on Monday.
Many in Israel already believe that a price is worth paying to save the remaining hostages.
Once again, they went to the streets on Saturday evening, and called Netanyahu to reach a deal so that the hostages could finally be released.
But there are hard -line voices in the cabinet in Netanyahu, including National Security Minister Itamar bin Ghafir and Finance Minister Bezalil Smotrich, who once again crossed their fierce opposition to ending the war in Gaza before Hamas was completely eliminated.
Again, there is a real momentum on the ceasefire deal, but the uncertainty about whether the Israeli government or Hamas is ready to reach an agreement that may not be less than the main circumstances they have set up yet.
Once again, the Palestinians in Gaza and the families of the Israeli hostages are still detained, in the hope that this will be another false dawn.
The Israeli army launched a campaign in Gaza in response to Hamas attacks on October 7, 2023, where about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken into account.
At least 5,7,38 people have been killed in Gaza since then, according to the Hamas Ministry of Health in the region.
