Gaza Ceasefire Talks Held Up by Israel Withdrawal Plans
Delegations from both sides began discussions in Qatar last Sunday to try to agree on a temporary halt to the 21-month conflict sparked by Hamas's deadly attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.
Both Hamas and Israel have said that 10 living hostages who were taken that day and are still in captivity would be released if an agreement for a 60-day ceasefire were reached, reported Reuters.
Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday that he hoped to clinch a deal "in a few days", which could then lead to talks for a more permanent end to hostilities.
But one Palestinian source, speaking anonymously due to the sensitivity of the talks, said Israel's refusal to accept Hamas's demand to withdraw all of its troops from Gaza was holding back progress.
Another said mediators had asked both sides to postpone the talks until the arrival of US President Donald Trump's special envoy, Steve Witkoff, in Doha.
"The negotiations in Doha are facing a setback and complex difficulties due to Israel's insistence, as of Friday, on presenting a map of withdrawal, which is actually a map of redeployment and repositioning of the Israeli army rather than a genuine withdrawal," one Palestinian source said.
The source said Israel was proposing to maintain military forces in more than 40 percent of the Palestinian territory, forcing hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians into a small area near the city of Rafah, on the border with Egypt, they added.
"Hamas's delegation will not accept the Israeli maps... as they essentially legitimize 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.
A second Palestinian source accused the Israeli delegation of having no authority, and "stalling and obstructing the agreement in order to continue the war of extermination".
- Latest strikes -
The Gaza war began after Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, resulting in the deaths of at least 1,219 people, most of them civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli figures.
Of the 251 hostages seized, 49 are still being held, including 27 the Israeli military says are dead.
At least 57,823 Palestinians, also mostly civilians, have been killed since the start of the war, according to the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza.
Gaza's civil defense agency said at least 14 Palestinians were killed in the latest wave of Israeli strikes across the territory on Saturday.
More than 30 people were killed on Friday, including 10 people who were waiting for aid handouts, the agency said.
The Israeli military on Saturday said it had attacked "approximately 250 terrorist targets throughout the Gaza Strip" in the last 48 hours.
Targets included "terrorists, booby-trapped structures, weapons storage facilities, anti-tank missile launch posts, sniper posts, tunnels and additional terrorist infrastructure sites", it added.
Two previous ceasefires -- a week-long truce beginning in late November 2023 and a two-month one from mid-January this year -- led to the release of 105 hostages in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.
The second Palestinian source said "some progress" had been made in the latest talks on plans for releasing Palestinian prisoners held by Israel and getting more aid to Gaza.
Netanyahu, who is under domestic and international pressure to end the war, said this week that neutralizing Hamas as a security threat was a prerequisite for any long-term ceasefire talks.
That included the group giving up weapons, he said, warning that failure to do so would mean Israel would have to do so by force.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Arab News
3 hours ago
- Arab News
Syrian, Israeli officials meet in Baku: Diplomatic source in Damascus
DAMASCUS: A Syrian and an Israeli official met face to face in Baku Saturday on the sidelines of a visit to Azerbaijan by President Ahmed Al-Sharaa, a diplomatic source in Damascus said. The meeting marked a major step for the two countries which have been foes for decades, and comes after Israel initially cold-shouldered Al-Sharaa's administration as jihadist because of his past links to Al-Qaeda. 'A meeting took place between a Syrian official and an Israeli official on the sidelines of Al-Sharaa's visit to Baku,' the source said, requesting anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue. Israel is a major arms supplier to Azerbaijan and has a significant diplomatic presence in the Caucasus nation which neighbors its arch foe Iran. Al-Sharaa himself did not take part in the meeting, which focused on 'the recent Israeli military presence in Syria,' the source added. After the overthrow of longtime ruler Bashar Assad in December, Israel carried out hundreds of air strikes in Syria to prevent key military assets falling into the hands of the Islamist-led interim administration headed by Al-Sharaa. It also sent troops into the UN-patrolled buffer zone that used to separate the opposing forces in the strategic Golan Heights, from which it has conducted forays deeper into southern Syria. Al-Sharaa has said repeatedly that Syria does not seek conflict with its neighbors, and has instead asked the international community to put pressure on Israel to halt its attacks. His government recently confirmed that it had held indirect contacts with Israel seeking a return to the 1974 disengagement agreement which created the buffer zone. Late last month, Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said Israel was interested in striking a peace and normalization agreement with Syria. A Syria government source quoted by state media responded that such talk was 'premature.' But during a visit to Lebanon this week, US special envoy to Syria Tom Barrack said: 'The dialogue has started between Syria and Israel.' After meeting Al-Sharaa in Riyadh in May, US President Donald Trump told reporters he had expressed hope that Syria would join other Arab states which normalized their relations with Israel. '(Al-Sharaa) said yes. But they have a lot of work to do,' Trump said. During his visit to Baku, Al-Sharaa held talks with his counterpart Ilham Aliyev, the two governments said. Azerbaijan announced it would begin exporting gas to Syria via Turkiye, a key ally of both governments, a statement from the Azerbaijani presidency said.
Arab News
3 hours ago
- Arab News
The battle for talent: Saudi Arabia's high-stakes bet on human capital
RIYADH: As Saudi Arabia accelerates its transformation under Vision 2030, a critical question has emerged: Can the Kingdom build a homegrown tech workforce strong enough to power its digital ambitions? From artificial intelligence and smart mobility to fintech and clean energy, the Kingdom's rapidly expanding sectors are creating an unprecedented demand for highly skilled professionals. Yet despite billions in investments and major infrastructure rollouts, supply still lags behind demand. This challenge, however, is far from ignored. 'We are proud to take human capital development to the next level,' said Minister of Human Resources and Social Development Ahmed Al-Rajhi, during the launch of the National Skills Platform in April 2025. 'Technical expertise alone is not enough. Leadership, strategic thinking, and adaptability are equally important, and skilling and reskilling for the workforce is a national priority that all stakeholders should engage in.' The AI-powered platform connects Saudi job seekers to customized learning pathways, marking a shift toward demand-driven education and training. A national priority Education Minister Yousef Al-Benyan, who also chairs the executive committee of the Human Capability Development Program, emphasized the broader purpose behind the Kingdom's reforms. 'Vision 2030 is not just a roadmap for national transformation — it is a model for how investment in people can drive sustainable progress,' Al-Benyan wrote in an April op-ed for Arab News titled 'Vision 2030: Elevating human capability in a changing world.' Citing the World Economic Forum's Future of Jobs Report 2025, he noted that while 170 million new jobs will emerge globally by 2030, another 92 million will be displaced. He warned that 44 percent of core skills are set to change within five years, with digital and AI literacy becoming as fundamental as reading and math. 'Without these,' he wrote, 'individuals are unable to participate meaningfully in today's digital economy.' Scaling up training and inclusion This outlook is shaping some of Saudi Arabia's most ambitious workforce initiatives. Among them is the Waad National Training Campaign, launched in 2023 and supported by more than 70 organizations. The program surpassed 1 million training opportunities in its first phase and now targets 3 million by the end of 2025. Waad's Women's Employment Track has been particularly successful, with a 92 percent retention rate in tech roles—contributing to a record rise in female participation across the digital economy. Waad, Al-Rajhi noted, is an investment in 'the promise of human potential.' Meanwhile, the Future Skills Training Initiative, led by the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology since 2020, has provided training to hundreds of thousands of Saudis in areas like cybersecurity, data science, and cloud computing. Supported by the Digital Skills Framework and private-sector partnerships, it has grown steadily. One such partnership — a 2023 collaboration with IBM — aimed to train 100,000 Saudis in AI and machine learning. Talent gaps persist Despite this progress, a 2025 report by Nucamp and the ministry highlighted a 20 percent shortfall between tech job vacancies and qualified local talent. Critical roles such as AI engineers, cloud architects, and data analysts remain in short supply. 'Demand for AI and cloud experts far exceeds supply,' said Ahmed Helmy, managing director for SAP in the Middle East, in an April interview with Asharq Al-Awsat. The result: fierce competition among employers. To meet short-term needs, Saudi Arabia is tapping into international expertise. The Premium Residency Program, launched in 2021, allows skilled foreign professionals to live and work in the Kingdom without a local sponsor. By late 2023, more than 2,600 had taken advantage of the scheme. In 2024, five new visa categories were introduced to attract investors, entrepreneurs, and tech specialists. These include provisions that exempt founders from Saudization quotas for their first three years—providing flexibility to scale teams while supporting local hiring in the long term. 'Such incentives allow skilled professionals to have a more stable life and make long-term investments in their careers in Saudi Arabia,' said Raymond Khoury, partner at Arthur D. Little, in May. Still, officials stress that international hiring is a stopgap — not a substitute. 'While attracting global talent is crucial, sustainable growth depends on balancing international expertise with local knowledge development,' said Mamdouh Al-Doubayan, MENA managing director at Globant. To that end, foreign hires are increasingly being integrated not just as employees, but as mentors and trainers. Startups adapt with remote models In the private sector, startups are turning to remote hiring to bypass local talent shortages. A 2024 study by Wamda found that many Saudi companies are building distributed teams, sourcing tech talent from Egypt, Jordan, and other regional markets. This strategy shortens hiring cycles and enables around-the-clock operations. The trend aligns with the Kingdom's Telework Initiative, which certifies employers to offer remote roles to Saudis—especially women and those living outside major urban centers. Competitive pressures from giga-projects The hiring challenge became especially acute in 2023. That year, PwC's Middle East Workforce Survey reported that 58 percent of Saudi firms struggled to fill key tech roles. A MAGNiTT report found that 65 percent of startup founders saw the shortage of senior tech talent as their top obstacle. A concurrent survey by Flat6Labs noted that many startups were delaying product launches due to staffing shortages, losing talent to mega-projects offering 30 to 50 percent higher salaries. 'Engineers and product managers often defect to deep-pocketed giga-projects that offer salaries 30–50 percent above startup pay,' wrote venture adviser Aditya Ghosh in a November 2023 LinkedIn Pulse column. Bridging the divide Education leaders are working to close this gap. Khalid Al-Sabti, chairman of the Education and Training Evaluation Commission, said in a 2024 Arab News interview that Saudi Arabia is aligning its curriculum with global benchmarks. 'We must ensure our graduates meet international standards to compete globally,' he said. This includes revising curricula, emphasizing hands-on projects, and embedding industry into the classroom through partnership programs. The Talent Enrichment Program, for example, spans 160 countries and offers global certifications to Saudi learners. Encouragingly, Saudi Arabia's position in the IMD World Talent Ranking improved in 2023. Companies such as STC, Aramco Digital, and Elm are now hiring directly from local boot camps and training centers — evidence that education and industry are beginning to align. The road ahead Ultimately, the success of Saudi Arabia's tech talent strategy will be measured not just by enrollments or credentials, but by how effectively new graduates are absorbed into the workforce. If current reforms continue at scale, the Kingdom may not only satisfy its domestic tech demand — but emerge as a regional hub for digital talent. As Al-Benyan wrote: 'By investing in people, fostering global collaboration, and redefining the future of work, Saudi Arabia is demonstrating that human capability is the ultimate driver of progress.'
Arab News
4 hours ago
- Arab News
Netanyahu's inconsequential visit to Washington
It might have been naive to believe that the meeting in Washington this week between America's President Donald Trump and Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was going to lead to an announcement of a ceasefire agreement in Gaza between Israel and Hamas. After all, there have already been many false dawns. But having observed the terrible humanitarian tragedy that has unfolded in the territory over the past 21 months, who can blame any decent human being for hoping and praying for this nightmare to finally come to an end? It is for those who create the obstacles, or who are not using the full weight of their influence to stop this human suffering, to answer the question of what is preventing them from ending a war that no one is winning, and which is only causing immense hurt while harming the prospect of any future peace between the two peoples. Netanyahu arrived in the US in a very different state of mind compared with his previous visits since the war started. He was much more confident. He is now convinced that Israel's show of force in Iran, with Tehran's proxies considerably weakened, and his success in pulling in the US to participate in an attack on Iran's nuclear installations, have considerably elevated his status in Washington. Astonishingly, he also managed to drag Trump into an interfering role in the legal proceedings against him. The US president described Netanyahu's corruption trial a witch-hunt, which it most definitely is not, and even threatened to halt American aid to Israel if it was not brought to an immediate halt. The Israeli prime minister's visit to Washington was part of his attempts to secure his political survival and revival. Trump seemed to play his part, and even took part in a piece of grotesque theater in which Netanyahu presented him with a nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize. Trump, who previously pledged he would be 'very firm' with Netanyahu about ending the war in Gaza, on this occasion, and for no apparent reason, completely refrained from putting any pressure at all on the Israeli leader. While the immediate hopes for a ceasefire agreement were dashed, Israeli and Hamas negotiating teams were still engaged in proximity talks in Doha in an effort to resolve their differences, and Trump expressed cautious optimism when he declared that the negotiations to end the war in Gaza had been 'going along very well.' Israeli sources told journalists that 90 percent of outstanding issues have been resolved but the negotiations require more time. While the ability to reach an agreement on most issues is always a positive development, it ultimately means very little because in negotiations of this nature nothing is agreed until everything is agreed — and what remains unsettled includes those issues that are crucial to both sides, including an Israeli agreement to end the war, whether Israel will maintain a presence in the Gaza Strip, and whether the leadership of Hamas will be exiled. These sticking points will determine whether or not a ceasefire deal can be reached. Meanwhile, time is running out for the people of Gaza, and very quickly. Netanyahu's trip to Washington reflected his determination to remain in power, and possibly to avoid justice by derailing his corruption trial. Yossi Mekelberg What should obviously worry Gazans, and also those who believe in human rights and the rule of law, is that they have suffered immensely, even before the war began and immeasurably since. They have for months also been subjected to speculation about their possible removal from Gaza altogether. Other reports warn of the prospect of hundreds of thousands of them being pushed into the south of the territory. The very fact that the 'option' of a so-called 'voluntary migration' was even discussed with Netanyahu and his delegation in Washington is disturbing. The euphemisms of a 'humanitarian city' and 'voluntary migration' serve to sedate and deceive decent people around the world, or ease their consciences, when what is actually being suggested are most probably acts tantamount to horrendous war crimes on a huge scale. When Netanyahu says in Washington, 'If people want to stay, they can stay, but if they want to leave, they should be able to leave,' he is being disingenuous. Nearly two years of war have rendered Gaza almost uninhabitable, and instead of suggesting it be rebuilt, Israel's prime minister, with the support of the US, is saying that its residents might be better off going somewhere else. One cannot imagine a lower level of shamelessness to which this Israeli government might sink. When the war began this displacement was not one of Israel's objectives; it emerged as Israeli forces occupied most of the Gaza Strip, and then the extreme right wing in the country received a boost from Trump's misguided and tactless idea about rebuilding the territory as a 'Gaza riviera' — but not for the Palestinians. The timing of this Trump-Netanyahu summit, following the 12-day war against Iran last month, gave it a different flavor than previous meetings, as both leaders see themselves, not without reason, as victorious. The true extent of the damage to Iran's nuclear program is still unknown but one thing is not in question: Israel's initial military success, which gave its air force total freedom to operate in Iran, created the opportunity for Netanyahu to tempt Trump into getting involved to help, allegedly, finish the job using the kind of weaponry only the US possesses. On the one hand there is a sense in Washington that Netanyahu owes the American president for this assistance and should pay him back by showing more flexibility on the Palestinian issue. However, although Trump is not the type of person who ever believes he owes anyone anything, what Israel did in Iran actually gave him the chance to demonstrate determination and conviction as the US commander-in-chief and, within 24 hours, also to assert his authority by dictating to Israel that the war was over, to actually conclude it, and to suggest that decisions about the future of Iran's nuclear program should now move to the diplomatic sphere — thus becoming a peacemaker. Nevertheless, Trump has in mind a larger agenda: the expansion of the Abraham Accords to other countries within the region and beyond. But by now there is a recognition within his administration that this is not feasible without progress, firstly toward the end of war in Gaza and the reconstruction of the territory, and then to establish a genuine peace process between the Israelis and Palestinians that can lead to a two-state solution. Netanyahu and his government remain a major obstacle to this, albeit not the only one. The question now is what Trump will do. What is quickly becoming clear is that from Netanyahu's perspective the visit to Washington was part of the unofficial launch of his reelection campaign. The cracks in his coalition are growing but the war with Iran has enhanced his position in opinion polls. His trip to Washington reflected his determination to remain in power, and possibly to avoid justice by derailing his corruption trial. Trump and Netanyahu are not exactly soulmates but they do understand how they can serve each other's interests and personal ambitions. Sadly this will not necessarily help bring an end to the war in Gaza or restore regional stability.
