Renewed Negotiations for Ceasefire-Hostage Deal in Palestinian Territories
American and Israeli negotiators are expected in Cairo over the weekend for a renewed push to reach a ceasefire-hostage deal in a war that reaches the half-year mark on Sunday.
Israel’s Admission and Calls for Independent Probe
The attempt comes after Israel made a rare admission of wrongdoing during its war against Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip. The country’s military said it was firing two officers for the killing of seven aid workers, most of them Westerners, in the territory where humanitarians say famine is imminent.
Israel’s admission, however, did not quell calls for an independent probe. The killing of the workers from the United States-based World Central Kitchen (WCK) on April 1 led to a tense phone call between US President Joe Biden and Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Biden urged an “immediate ceasefire” and for the first time hinted at conditioning American support for Israel on curtailing the killing of civilians and improving humanitarian conditions.
Escalation of Gaza War
The bloodiest-ever Gaza war began on October 7 with Hamas’s unprecedented attacks on southern Israel, resulting in the deaths of 1,170 people, mostly civilians, Israeli figures show. The Palestinian militants also took about 250 Israeli and foreign hostages, about 130 of whom remain in Gaza, including 34 the army says are dead. Vowing to destroy Hamas, Israel has relentlessly bombarded the territory by air, land, and sea, killing at least 33,091 people, mostly women and children, said the Health Ministry in the Hamas-run enclave.
Challenges and International Response
Israel’s army rejected accusations of using artificial intelligence (AI) to identify targets in Gaza, which was deemed “deeply troubling” by United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
Ahead of the weekend talks, Biden wrote to the leaders of Egypt and Qatar, urging them to secure commitments from Hamas to “agree to and abide by a deal.” Stop-start talks have made no headway since a weeklong truce in November saw the exchange of some hostages for Palestinian prisoners detained by Israel.
International Pressure and Aid Efforts
Biden’s discussions with Netanyahu included talks on “empowering his negotiators” to reach a deal. The lack of progress is attributed to Hamas’s refusal to release sick and vulnerable hostages. Biden faces pressure over US military aid to Israel, with charities accusing Israel of blocking aid distribution.
Germany, the European Commission, and other countries called for swift implementation of aid deliveries through Israeli ports and border crossings. Guterres emphasized the need for a “paradigm shift” rather than isolated measures.
A girl blows a balloon as boys search through the rubble of a destroyed building in the city of Rafah, southern Gaza Strip, on Friday, April 5, 2024.