Netanyahu says Israel will return to table for cease-fire talks with Hamas

29 Mar at 12:50 pm

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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Israel will return to the table for cease-fire talks with Hamas. Friday’s announcement marks yet another attempt to reach a deal with the militant group that would pause Israel’s military offensive in Gaza in exchange for the release of Israeli hostages. Several rounds of negotiations have faltered.

Here’s the latest:

Quick Read

Renewed Cease-Fire Talks: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Israel’s willingness to reengage in cease-fire negotiations with Hamas, aiming to halt the ongoing military offensive in Gaza in exchange for the release of Israeli hostages.
Negotiation Efforts: Discussions are set to take place in Qatar and Egypt, involving Israeli delegations, as part of the continued efforts by the United States, Qatar, and Egypt to broker a cease-fire and secure the release of hostages.
Hamas’s Demands: Hamas has proposed a phased hostage release in return for ending the war, withdrawing Israeli forces from Gaza, opening borders for aid, and releasing numerous Palestinian prisoners, including key militants.
Netanyahu’s Stance: Netanyahu has dismissed Hamas’s demands as unrealistic and insists on continuing military actions against Hamas until the group is dismantled, despite the potential hostage release.
Hostage Situation: It is estimated that Hamas currently holds around 100 hostages and the remains of approximately 30 individuals, casualties of the conflict or those who perished in captivity.
Casualty in Rafah: An Israeli airstrike in Rafah, Gaza, resulted in at least 12 fatalities, including women and children, highlighting the ongoing civilian toll of the conflict.
Impact on Rafah: Rafah is under threat of a ground invasion by Israeli forces, as it is considered a significant Hamas base. The city has become a refuge for a large portion of Gaza’s displaced population, despite continuous bombardments.
International Concern: The prospect of a large-scale assault on Rafah has raised alarms internationally, with the U.S. expressing concerns over the potential impact on the civilian population and the broader goal of defeating Hamas.

The Associated Press has the story:

Netanyahu says Israel will return to table for cease-fire talks with Hamas

Newslooks- (AP)

Netanyahu says he has spoken with Israel’s lead negotiators and authorized Israeli delegations to join talks in Qatar and Egypt over the coming days.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivers his speech after a meeting with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Jerusalem, Sunday, March 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Leo Correa, Pool)

With the war now grinding through a sixth month, the United States, Qatar and Egypt have spent months trying to negotiate another cease-fire and hostage release. But those efforts appear to have stalled.

Hamas has previously proposed a phased process in which it would release all the remaining hostages in exchange for an end to the war and full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, the opening of its borders for aid and reconstruction, and the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, including top militants serving life sentences.

Netanyahu has called the demands delusional and vowed to resume Israel’s offensive after any hostage release and keep fighting until the militant group is destroyed.

Hamas is believed to be holding roughly 100 hostages, as well as the remains of about 30 people killed in the group’s Oct. 7 attack, which triggered the war, or who died in captivity.

ISRAELI STRIKE IN RAFAH KILLS AT LEAST 12 PEOPLE, INCLUDING WOMEN AND KIDS

RAFAH, Gaza Strip — An Israeli airstrike killed at least 12 people when it slammed into a residential building late Thursday in the southern Gaza city of Rafah, which is overflowing with displaced civilians, according to health officials.

Two children and four women were among the dead pulled from the rubble, said Dr. Saleh al-Hams, the head of the nursing department at the European Hospital.

A member of the U.S. Air Force loads containers of humanitarian aid into an airplane at Al-Udeid Air Base, Qatar, Friday, March 29, 2024, prior to dropping them over the Gaza Strip. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

Eight of the bodies, including two mangled and unidentifiable corpses, were transferred to the European Hospital. The rest of the remains were taken to Abu Yousef al-Najjar Hospital, according to hospital records. After almost six months of war, about a dozen of Gaza’s 36 hospitals are only partially functioning.

Israel has promised to launch a ground invasion of Rafah, saying the city on the border with Egypt is the last remaining Hamas stronghold in the Gaza Strip. Israeli forces have continued to bombard areas where they told civilians to take shelter — including Rafah.

Over half of Gaza’s population has sought refuge in Rafah, many in makeshift tent camps, United Nations shelters and crowded apartments. The U.S. says it shares Israel’s goal of defeating Hamas but a major assault on the city would be a mistake.