An Israeli delegation will be dispatched to the Qatari capital city of Doha next week to continue negotiations on a ceasefire deal with Hamas in the war-ravaged Gaza Strip and the release of hostages, according to the Israeli prime minister's office.
This follows a meeting on Friday between Mossad chief David Barnea and mediators in Doha where discussions centered on proposals for a ceasefire and the release of hostages.
It should be emphasized that there are still gaps between the two sides, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said.
The recent development marks a renewed effort to negotiate an end to the nearly nine-month-old conflict, which, according to the Gaza-based health authorities, has resulted in the deaths of more than 38,000 Palestinians in the enclave.
Israel launched a large-scale offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip to retaliate against a Hamas rampage through the southern Israeli border on Oct. 7, 2023. The Palestinian death toll in Gaza from ongoing Israeli attacks has surpassed 38,000, health authorities in the Palestinian enclave said on Thursday.
Since the outbreak of the latest round of Palestinian-Israeli conflict, the Israeli government and Hamas have engaged in multiple rounds of indirect negotiations over a ceasefire. However, due to ongoing disagreements over each other's demands, previous negotiations have not yielded substantive results.
Israel to dispatch team to Qatar for follow-up ceasefire talks next week
Israel to dispatch team to Qatar for follow-up ceasefire talks next week
Israel to dispatch team to Qatar for follow-up ceasefire talks next week
Lebanon's Hezbollah said on Thursday that the group is willing to consider a ceasefire proposal if it includes guarantees for a truce in the war-torn Gaza Strip.
A member of Lebanese parliament from the Hezbollah coalition made the statement at a news conference in Beirut.
He criticized Israel's strike on a Beirut health care facility that killed at least five people, and warned the international community against Israel's continuous violations of international law.
"The world is facing a challenge. Can they find one humanitarian or international law that Israel hasn't violated? All U.N. charters, U.N. Security Council resolutions, Israel has violated them. Isn't it enough that it tore the U.N. Charter? Isn't it enough that it declared the [U.N.] secretary general an undesirable person, a Persona Non Grata" said Ibrahim Al Moussawi, an Hezbollah official and member of the Lebanese parliament.
The group also vowed to continue their fight until it sees a realistic proposal for a ceasefire.
"The decision for a ceasefire is left to those in the battlefield. We consult with those in the field, and we who deal with politics when we receive an offer that is realistic and would also achieve a ceasefire in Gaza as well. Only then we can consider making a deal," said Ibrahim.
The Israel Defense Forces have been carrying out an unprecedented, intensive air attack on Lebanon, dubbed "Arrows of the North", since Sept. 23, after nearly a year of low-intensity cross-border exchanges of fire with Hezbollah. And in another sign of escalation, the country has launched a ground incursion into Lebanon since early Tuesday.
The Israeli air and ground raids have since killed 1,974 people, including 127 children, wounded 9,350 others, and forced more than 1.2 million civilians to flee their homes, according to the Lebanese health minister.
Hezbollah willing to consider ceasefire proposal if it includes guarantees for truce in Gaza: official
