a day ago
Ceasefire in Gaza? One key dispute holds everything back
ALBAWABA - Two knowledgeable Palestinian sources who spoke to AFP say that the ceasefire talks between Hamas and Israel, which are currently taking place in Doha with help from Qatar, the US, and Egypt, have hit a major snag: Israel has refused to agree to a full military pullout from the Gaza Strip. Also Read Israel busts decade's largest Hamas network in West Bank
On Sunday, the latest round of informal talks began. Both sides want to end the terrible 21-month war that has killed over 57,000 Palestinians, mostly civilians, according to UN-recognized numbers from Gaza's Health Ministry.
A very important Palestinian source said that Israel came up with a plan for a partial pullout on Friday. This plan would keep Israeli troops in more than 40% of Gaza. Hamas has flatly refused the plan, seeing it as an ostensibly legal rule that would separate Gaza into small areas that can't connect with other areas or move around freely.
The source warned that the plan is meant to force hundreds of thousands of Palestinians who have been forced to leave their homes into a small area in western Rafah. This could lead to their being sent to Egypt or other countries.
Even though there was no movement, another Palestinian official said that some things were getting better, like the exchange of Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners and the sending of emergency aid. Reports say that mediators have asked both sides to wait to talk about the pullout question again until U.S. envoy Steve Wietckoff gets to Doha.
Israeli armed actions are still going on the ground. The IDF said that in the last 48 hours, it had hit 250 "terror targets," such as caves, weapons caches, spotter posts, and places where anti-tank missiles could be launched. Over 20 people were killed in Gaza, including a whole family in Deir al-Balah, according to the civil defense.
On the other hand, seven UN agencies warned on Saturday that Gaza's fuel shortages have hit a critical level, which could shut down already overworked relief services and make the food situation worse.
