&w=3840&q=100)
Israel, Hamas trade blame over stalled Gaza ceasefire talks
Talks aimed at securing a ceasefire in Gaza hung in the balance on Saturday (July 12) as both Hamas and Israel accused each other of obstructing efforts to end nearly 21 months of war. The deadlock comes amid ongoing negotiations in Qatar and intensifying pressure from families of Israeli hostages to reach a deal.
A Palestinian source familiar with the indirect talks told AFP that Israel's proposal to keep troops in parts of Gaza was preventing agreement on a 60-day pause in fighting. On the Israeli side, a senior political official accused Hamas of 'refusing to compromise' and 'sabotaging the negotiations'.
STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
Disputed troop presence and mediation delay
A second Palestinian source said discussions had been delayed at the request of mediators until US President Donald Trump's special envoy, Steve Witkoff, arrives in Doha. One of the sticking points, according to the first Palestinian source, was Israel's plan to maintain a military presence in more than 40 percent of Gaza, confining hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians to a small zone near Rafah.
'Hamas's delegation will not accept the Israeli maps… as they essentially legitimise the reoccupation of approximately half of the Gaza Strip and turn Gaza into isolated zones with no crossings or freedom of movement,' the source said.
Israeli media reported that new maps would be presented on Sunday, quoting a foreign official with knowledge of the matter.
The Israeli political official countered that Hamas was 'creating obstacles' and said Israel had shown 'a willingness to show flexibility in the negotiations'.
Deaths mount as strikes continue
As talks stalled, Gaza's civil defence agency said over 20 people were killed across the territory on Saturday, including in an overnight airstrike on a site sheltering displaced people.
'While we were sleeping, there was an explosion… where two boys, a girl and their mother were staying,' said Bassam Hamdan, a resident of Gaza City. 'We found them torn to pieces, their remains scattered.'
In southern Gaza, casualties were rushed to hospitals on donkey carts, stretchers or carried by hand. In Khan Yunis, bodies were laid out under plastic sheets outside the Nasser hospital.
The Israeli military said it had attacked 'approximately 250 terrorist targets throughout the Gaza Strip' over the past 48 hours, including 'over 35 Hamas terror targets' near Beit Hanoun.
The health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza said at least 57,882 Palestinians, mostly civilians, have been killed since the war began. On the Israeli side, Hamas's 7 October 2023 attack killed 1,219 people, mostly civilians, and 251 hostages were taken. Israel says 49 hostages remain in captivity, including 27 confirmed dead.
STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
Hostage families press for a deal
Thousands of Israelis rallied in Tel Aviv, urging the government to finalise a deal for hostage release. 'The window of opportunity… is open now and it won't be for long,' said Eli Sharabi, who was freed in February.
Both Hamas and Israel have said that 10 hostages could be released if an agreement is reached. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has indicated he would then be open to talks on a longer-term ceasefire, provided Hamas is disarmed.
Two previous ceasefires — one in November 2023 and another from mid-January 2024 — led to the release of 105 hostages in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.
According to one Palestinian source, 'some progress' has been made on the issues of prisoner release and humanitarian aid delivery.
Netanyahu, under growing pressure at home and abroad, reiterated this week that neutralising Hamas is essential for any long-term solution. 'Failure to do so,' he warned, would leave Israel with no choice but to act 'by force'.
With inputs from agencies
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
22 minutes ago
- Time of India
Donald Trump assassination attempt: Who was Corey Comperatore, the fireman killed in the attack?
One year ago today, United States President Donald Trump was targeted by an assassin while campaigning in Butler, Pennsylvania. While the President survived the attempt and leveraged the incident to further bolster his campaign, the event wasn't entirely free of casualties. Corey Comperatore, a Pennsylvania resident and former fire chief, tragically lost his life while shielding his wife and two daughters from gunfire. The White House X account paid tribute to the deceased fireman today, on the one-year anniversary of the incident. Corey Comperatore died during Donald Trump's attempted assassination Corey Comperatore was the only person who died during the attempted assassination of Donald Trump that occurred one year ago, on July 13, 2024. The murder attempt was masterminded by a long wolf gunman named Thomas Matthew Cook. Thomas used an AR-15 patterned rifle for the attempt. Corey was a resident of Sarver, Pennsylvania, and was a member of the Global Methodist Church, which would publish an obituary about him. One year later, our hearts remain with the Comperatore family. Corey's courage and love for his family reflect the very best of America. President Trump remains committed to honoring Corey's legacy and securing justice in his name. Corey is survived by his wife, Helen, and his daughters, Allison and Kaylee, with him sacrificing his own life to save them from the gunfire directed at Donald Trump. In a Facebook post, Corey's older sister, Dawn, spoke up about her brother's tragic demise: 'The hatred for one man took the life of the one man we loved the most. [Corey's] wife and girls just lived through the unthinkable and unimaginable. Hatred has no limits and love has no bounds. Pray for my sister-in-law, nieces, my mother, sister, me and his nieces and nephews as this feels like a terrible nightmare but we know it is our painful reality.' The July 13 assassination attempt led to multiple injuries While Corey died as a result of the assassination attempt, there were a number of injuries as a result of the event. Remember to pray for the family of Corey Comperatore today. The most high-profile of these injuries was Donald Trump himself, whose ear was grazed by a bullet. Other injuries included two men in the audience, aged 57 and 74, who were critically injured and had to be hospitalized.
Time of India
22 minutes ago
- Time of India
‘Blood Covenant': Iranian crowdfunding website claims to have raised $40 million to assassinate Trump; ‘call to Jihad' say analysts
Donald Trump (AP) A crowdfunding campaign that promised $40 million for the assassination of US President Donald Trump was linked to a former employee of Iran's main state-run propaganda outlet. The campaign was reportedly organised by a group called 'Blood Covenant,' which pledged to bring 'justice' for actions committed by 'militants.' According to the US-based think tank Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI), the group allegedly operated under the 'aegis of the Iranian regime,' as reported by the New York Post. 'We pledge to award the prize to whoever can bring the militants and those who threaten the life of the Deputy of Imam Mahdi (may our souls be sacrificed for him) to justice for their actions,' the group had posted on its website. MEMRI described the campaign as 'a call to jihad, inviting believers to donate their money and sacrifice their lives.' It added, 'The fact that these calls to assassinate Trump were coming from above and echoed in the street and through all strata of society, including in the Iranian media… reflected a broad religious and regime consensus strengthened by reiterated emphasis on the reward anyone carrying out the punishment against Trump could expect to receive — in addition to the $40.3 million, also Paradise and the status of a defender of Islam. ' An individual named Hossein Abbasifar, an Iranian citizen, was 'unmasked' by Max Lesser and Maria Riofrio, analysts at the foundation for defence of democracies (FDD), who suggested he was involved with the Blood Covenant group. 'The man apparently behind it, Hossein Abbasifar, appeared to have once worked for Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), the regime's main propaganda network,' their analysis stated. The FDD connected Abbasifar to the campaign through metadata analysis of the Blood Covenant website. Lesser and Riofrio also claimed Abbasifar had worked as a specialist at a state-run radio network called 'Voice of the Islamic Republic of Iran.' 'The US government has an opportunity to set an example by holding him accountable,' they wrote, noting that identifying the creators of the website could help 'levy targeted sanctions against those responsible.' A senior US State Department official said on Friday that the administration was aware of the threats and remained committed to holding 'bad actors accountable,' according to the Washington Free Beacon. 'This means using every tool at our disposal, including sanctions, to implement the president's maximum pressure strategy,' the official added. The development came after Iran's top Shiite religious authority issued a 'fatwa' or religious decree last month against Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The fatwa, declared by Grand Ayatollah Naser Makarem Shirazi, called on Muslims to bring down both leaders for allegedly threatening the leadership of the Islamic Republic. The decree labelled any individual or institution that threatened the unity and leadership of the global Islamic community as 'mohareb' or 'warlord', someone waging war against God or regarded as an 'enemy of God.'
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
an hour ago
- Business Standard
At least 30 killed in Israeli strikes in Gaza Strip, say officials
Israeli strikes in the Gaza Strip killed at least 30 people on Sunday, including six children at a water collection point, local health officials said, despite attempts by mediators to bring about a ceasefire. Israel and Hamas appeared no closer to a breakthrough in talks meant to pause the 21-month war and free some Israeli hostages. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was in Washington last week to discuss the deal with the Trump administration, but a new sticking point has emerged over the deployment of Israeli troops during the truce, raising questions over the feasibility of a new deal. Israel says it will only end the war once Hamas surrenders, disarms and goes into exile, something it refuses to do. Hamas says it is willing to free all the remaining 50 hostages, less than half said to be alive, in exchange for an end to the war and the full withdrawal of Israeli forces. Gaza's Health Ministry said Sunday that more than 58,000 people have been killed in the war. The ministry doesn't differentiate between civilians and combatants in its count but says more than half of the dead are women and children. In the Oct 7, 2023, attack that sparked the war, Hamas-led militants killed some 1,200 people and abducted 251 in a raid on northern Israel. Throughout the war in Gaza, violence has also surged in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, where funerals were held Sunday for two Palestinians, including Palestinian-American Sayfollah Musallet, 20, who was killed in an attack by Israeli settlers, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry. Children killed at a water collection point In central Gaza, officials at Al-Awda Hospital said it received 10 bodies after an Israeli strike on a water collection point in nearby Nuseirat. Among the dead were six children, the hospital said. Ramadan Nassar, a witness who lives in the area, told The Associated Press that around 20 children and 14 adults were lined up Sunday morning to fill up water. When the strike occurred, everyone ran and some, including those who were severely injured, fell to the ground, he said. He said Palestinians walk some 2 kilometres to fetch water from the area. The Israeli military said it was targeting a militant but that a technical error made its munition fall dozens of metres from the target. It said the incident was being examined. Additionally, health officials said an Israeli strike hit a group of citizens walking in the street on Sunday afternoon, killing 11 people and injuring around 30 others in central Gaza City. Dr Ahmed Qandil, who specialises in general surgery and laparoscopic, was among those killed, the Gaza Health Ministry said in a statement. One of the ministry's spokespeople, Zaher al-Wahidi, told the AP that Qandil was on his way to Al-Ahli Arab Baptist Hospital when the strike happened. All bodies and those wounded were taken to Al-Ahli hospital, according to al-Wahidi. In the central town of Zawaida, an Israeli strike on a home killed nine, including two women and three children, officials at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital said. The military said it was unaware of a strike on the home, but has struck over 150 targets over the past 24 hours, including what it said are weapons storage facilities, missile launchers and sniping posts. Israel blames Hamas for civilian casualties because the militant group operates out of populated areas. Funeral held for Palestinian-American killed in the West Bank In the West Bank, where violence between Israeli troops and Palestinians has been compounded by attacks on Palestinians by Israeli settlers, funerals were held for a Palestinian-American and a Palestinian friend of his. The Palestinian Health Ministry said Musallet, a Florida native, was killed after being beaten by Israeli settlers. Diana Halum, a cousin, said the attack occurred on his family's land. The Health Ministry initially identified him as Seifeddine Musalat, 23. Musallet's friend, Mohammed al-Shalabi, was shot in the chest, according to the ministry. On Sunday, their bodies were carried through the streets of Al-Mazraa a-Sharqiya, a town south of where they were killed. Mourners, waving Palestinian flags, chanted God is great. In a statement Saturday, Musallet's family said he was a kind, hard-working, and deeply-respected young man, working to build his dreams. It said he built a business in Tampa, Florida, and that he was deeply connected to his Palestinians heritage. Musallet's family said it wants the US State Department to investigate his death and hold the settlers accountable. The State Department said it was aware of the reports of his death but had no comment out of respect for the family. Israel's military has said Palestinians hurled rocks at Israelis in the area on Friday, lightly wounding two people and setting off a larger confrontation. Palestinians and rights groups have long accused the military of ignoring settler violence.
