by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Correspondent
(Worthy News) – On Thursday, Israeli negotiators and international mediators gathered in Qatar to negotiate a ceasefire in Gaza and secure the release of hostages held by Hamas, with the hope that a negotiated peace will prevent the conflict from escalating into a full-blown regional war.
In Doha, officials from the United States, Qatar, and Egypt met with the Israeli delegation led by Mossad chief David Barnea to try and negotiate a deal to end 10 months of conflict in Gaza, sparked by the October 7 attacks where Hamas-led terrorists killed about 1,200 and abducted 251, mostly civilians, aiming for a long-term ceasefire.
The talks, aimed at halting the conflict in the Palestinian enclave and securing the return of 115 Israeli and foreign hostages, were organized as Iran and its terrorist proxy groups were poised to retaliate against Israel following the assassination of key terrorist leaders in Beirut and Tehron on July 31.
Hezbollah has pledged to retaliate for the death of its leader, Fuad Shukr, while Iran seeks revenge for Israel’s assassination of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh.
However, a source close to Hezbollah indicated to the Washington Post that the organization might delay any retaliatory actions against Israel while hostage negotiations are ongoing in Qatar, as reported by Army Radio on Friday morning.
Following Thursday’s hostage-ceasefire negotiations in Qatar, Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani spoke with Iranian leaders to update them on the progress of the talks, according to the Ynet news.
Citing a senior source among the ceasefire negotiators, Ynet highlighted that al-Thani cautioned his Iranian counterparts, “you need to thoroughly consider if it’s advisable, for you or Hezbollah, to attack Israel right now when there’s progress like this.”
White House National Security spokesperson John Kirby described Thursday’s negotiations as a “promising start,” noting that discussions were set to continue into Friday.
Despite the complexity of the agreement and the focus on its implementation, Kirby explained that mediators had managed to “narrow some gaps” leading up to the meeting in Doha, marking it as an important step toward securing a deal.
The ceasefire talks continued despite Hamas’s absence, who declined to participate due to Israel’s introduction of what it views as new demands—previously supported by the US and the international community.
Specifically, Hamas has voiced objections to Israeli demands to maintain a presence in the Philadelphi Corridor along the Gaza-Egypt border and a road that divides northern and southern Gaza. Israel refutes that these are new conditions, asserting that its border presence is crucial to curb weapons smuggling, and that searches of Palestinians returning to northern Gaza are vital for ensuring they are not armed.
However, the absence of Hamas from the negotiations has led critics to doubt the effectiveness of the ceasefire talks without their participation.
However, Kirby tried to address critics concerns about Hamas’s absence from the talks, emphasizing that the negotiations have always been conducted indirectly, thus downplaying the impact of their non-participation.
“In the past, it has worked very similar[ly] to how it’s working in Doha today, where mediators will sit and discuss, work things out, and then those mediators will be in touch with Hamas, and then Hamas leaders in Doha communicate directly with [Hamas Leader] Mr. Sinwar for final answers,” Kirby explained.
Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu navigates a political tightrope by supporting ceasefire negotiations while leading a government coalition that includes far-right ministers opposed to ending the war. These ministers have threatened to exit the government if a deal is signed.
Additionally, families of hostages and their supporters have pressed Netanyahu to finalize a deal for the release of the captives. Many have taken part in anti-government protests, accusing him of postponing the negotiations for his own political benefit.
While negotiations were underway in Qatar, families of some hostages protested outside the headquarters of Netanyahu’s Likud party in Tel Aviv on Thursday.
“To the negotiating team — if a deal is not signed today or in the coming days at this summit, do not return to Israel. You have no reason to return to Israel without a deal,” said Yotam Cohen, whose brother Nimrod Cohen is held hostage in Gaza.
Copyright 1999-2024 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
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