Hamas signals willingness for new indirect Gaza ceasefire talks with Israel
The announcement followed the group's Saturday delivery of its response to a Gaza ceasefire proposal presented by US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff. Both the envoy and the Israeli government later rejected the response outright.
'We welcome the continued Qatari and Egyptian efforts to reach an end to the war waged by the Zionist occupation against our people in the Gaza Strip,' Hamas said in a statement.
The group affirmed its willingness 'to immediately begin indirect negotiations to reach an agreement on disputed points, in a way that ensures relief for our people, ends the humanitarian catastrophe, and leads to a permanent ceasefire and the complete withdrawal of (Israeli) occupation forces.'
Earlier Sunday, Egypt and Qatar said they hoped for a swift agreement on a 60-day temporary truce between Israel and Hamas that would pave the way towards a lasting ceasefire in Gaza, according to a joint statement.
'Qatar and Egypt, in coordination with the United States, affirm their intention to intensify efforts to overcome the obstacles facing the negotiations,' the statement said.
They also urged all parties 'to exercise responsibility and support the efforts of mediators aimed at resolving the crisis in the Gaza Strip through restoring stability and calm to the region.'
On Saturday night, Witkoff criticised Hamas' latest response to his ceasefire proposal as 'totally unacceptable.'
He highlighted: 'That is the only way we can close a 60-day ceasefire deal in the coming days in which half of the living hostages and half of those who are deceased will come home to their families and in which we can have at the proximity talks substantive negotiations in good faith to try to reach a permanent ceasefire.'
That same day, Hamas confirmed it had submitted its official reply to the mediators regarding Witkoff's proposal. While it did not disclose the content, the group said its position was based on three goals: a permanent ceasefire, full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, and unrestricted humanitarian access to the enclave.
Hamas has repeatedly stated it is prepared to release all Israeli captives in one exchange deal — on the condition that the war ends, Israeli forces fully withdraw from Gaza, and Palestinian prisoners are freed.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu continues to push for partial agreements and has introduced new conditions, including the disarmament of Palestinian resistance factions.
Critics in the Israeli opposition accuse him of prolonging the war and pushing for the reoccupation of Gaza to serve his political interests and maintain power.
Rejecting international calls for a ceasefire, Israel has pursued a devastating offensive in Gaza since October 2023, killing over 54,400 Palestinians, most of them women and children. Aid agencies have warned about the risk of famine among the enclave's population.
Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war crimes against civilians in the enclave. — Bernama-Anadolu
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
42 minutes ago
- The Sun
Gaza civil defence reports 39 killed near aid centres in Israeli fire
GAZA CITY: Gaza's civil defence agency reported on Saturday that Israeli fire killed 39 people and wounded over 100 near two aid centres in southern Gaza. The deaths occurred near Khan Yunis and Rafah, with witnesses describing chaotic scenes as civilians sought food amid gunfire. Civil defence spokesman Mahmud Bassal attributed the fatalities to 'Israeli gunfire.' One witness, Abdul Aziz Abed, 37, told AFP he and his relatives went to Al-Tina in Khan Yunis before dawn but only encountered bullets instead of food. Three other witnesses also accused Israeli troops of opening fire. The Israeli military responded by stating it had identified 'suspects' approaching troops in Rafah, posing a threat. Soldiers fired warning shots after calls to turn back were ignored, the military said, adding the incident was under review. The GHF, now the main aid distributor in Gaza, denied reports of deaths near its sites, urging people not to gather overnight. Meanwhile, an Israeli strike on a house near Nuseirat in central Gaza killed 12, according to the civil defence. The war, triggered by Hamas's October 2023 attack on Israel, has left Gaza in dire humanitarian conditions, with severe malnutrition and aid blockades worsening the crisis. The UNRWA said it had enough food stockpiled for three months but faced delivery restrictions. Hamas demands unrestricted aid flow and an Israeli withdrawal in ceasefire talks. - AFP
Malay Mail
42 minutes ago
- Malay Mail
Gaza health officials says 36 killed near aid site as Israeli forces fire on civilians
GAZA, July 30 — At least 36 people were killed by Israeli fire while they were on their way to an aid distribution site in Gaza at dawn on Saturday, according to the Gaza Health Ministry and Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis. The Israeli military said it had fired warning shots at suspects who approached its troops after they did not heed calls to stop, about a kilometre away from an aid distribution site that was not active at the time. Gaza resident Mohammed al-Khalidi said he was in the group approaching the site and heard no warnings before the firing began. 'We thought they came out to organise us so we can get aid, suddenly (I) saw the jeeps coming from one side, and the tanks from the other and started shooting at us,' he said. The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, a US-backed group which runs the aid site, said there were no incidents or fatalities there on Saturday and that it has repeatedly warned people not to travel to its distribution points in the dark. 'The reported IDF (Israel Defence Forces) activity resulting in fatalities occurred hours before our sites opened and our understanding is most of the casualties occurred several kilometres away from the nearest GHF site,' it said. The Israeli military said it was reviewing the incident. 'No more time' GHF uses private US security and logistics companies to get supplies into Gaza, largely bypassing a UN-led system that Israel alleges has let Hamas-led militants loot aid shipments intended for civilians. Hamas denies the accusation. The UN has called the GHF's model unsafe and a breach of humanitarian impartiality standards, which GHF denies. On Tuesday, the UN rights office in Geneva said it had recorded at least 875 killings within the past six weeks in the vicinity of aid sites and food convoys in Gaza – the majority of them close to GHF distribution points. Most of those deaths were caused by gunfire that locals have blamed on the Israeli military. The military has acknowledged that civilians were harmed, saying that Israeli forces had been issued new instructions with 'lessons learned'. At least 50 more people were killed in other Israeli attacks across Gaza on Saturday, health officials said, including one strike that killed the head of the Hamas-run police force in Nuseirat in central Gaza and 11 of his family members. The Israeli military said that it had struck militants' weapon depots and sniping posts in a few locations in the enclave. The war began when Hamas-led militants stormed into Israel on October 7, 2023, killing 1,200 people, mostly civilians and taking 251 hostages back to Gaza. The Israeli military campaign against Hamas in Gaza has since killed around 58,000 Palestinians, most of them civilians according to health officials, displaced almost the entire population and plunged the enclave into a humanitarian crisis, leaving much of the territory in ruins. Israel and Hamas are engaged in indirect talks in Doha aimed at reaching a US-proposed 60-day ceasefire and a hostage deal mediated by Egypt and Qatar, though there has been no sign of any imminent breakthrough. At least 20 of the remaining 50 hostages in Gaza are believed to still be alive. Einav Zangauker, whose son Matan was kidnapped from his kibbutz home and is held by Hamas, urged Israel's leaders to make a deal with the militant group. 'An entire people wants to bring all 50 hostages home and end the war,' Zangauker said in a statement outside Israel's defence headquarters in Tel Aviv. 'My Matan is alone in the tunnels,' she said, 'He has no more time.' — Reuters
The Sun
17 hours ago
- The Sun
Gaza civil defence reports 26 killed near aid centres in Israeli attacks
GAZA CITY: Gaza's civil defence agency reported on Saturday that Israeli attacks killed 26 people and wounded over 100 near two aid centres in southern Gaza. Agency spokesman Mahmud Basal stated that 22 died near a site southwest of Khan Yunis and four near another centre northwest of Rafah, attributing both incidents to 'Israeli gunfire.' One witness, Abdul Aziz Abed, 37, described attempting to collect food before dawn with relatives when 'Israeli soldiers' opened fire. 'Every day I go there and all we get is bullets and exhaustion instead of food,' he told AFP. The Israeli military said it was 'looking into' the claims. Media restrictions and access difficulties in Gaza prevent independent verification of casualty figures. The war, triggered by Hamas's October 2023 attack on Israel, has left Gaza's 2 million residents facing severe shortages of food and essentials, with doctors noting rising malnutrition cases. Deaths near aid centres have become frequent, with Palestinian authorities blaming Israeli forces. The civil defence agency reported nine killed near Rafah's Al-Shakoush area on Friday. The US- and Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, managing aid since late May, said 20 died in Khan Yunis on Wednesday but accused 'agitators... affiliated with Hamas' of inciting chaos. The UN recorded 875 deaths while seeking aid, including 674 near GHF sites. A ceasefire demand by Hamas includes unrestricted aid access. - AFP
