On Wednesday, the United States, along with Arab mediators, aimed to finalize an agreement to end the 14-month war in the Gaza Strip between Israel and Hamas. Medics reported that Israeli strikes killed at least 20 Palestinians overnight.
A Palestinian official involved in the negotiations stated that the mediators had managed to close the gaps on most of the agreement’s clauses. However, he noted that Israel had introduced certain conditions that Hamas rejected, but he did not provide further details.
On Tuesday, sources close to the negotiations in Cairo reported that an agreement could be reached in the coming days. This agreement would involve a ceasefire and the release of hostages held in Gaza in exchange for Palestinian prisoners incarcerated by Israel.
Medics reported that an Israeli airstrike killed at least 10 people in a house located in the northern town of Beit Lahiya. Additionally, six other individuals died in separate airstrikes in Gaza City, the Nuseirat camp in central areas, and Rafah, which is near the border with Egypt.
In Beit Hanoun, located in the northern Gaza Strip, four individuals were reportedly killed due to an airstrike targeting a house, according to local medics. The Israeli military has not provided any immediate comments regarding the incident.
Since October, Israeli forces have been conducting operations in Beit Hanoun, Beit Lahiya, and the nearby Jabalia refugee camp, which the military claims are necessary to prevent Hamas militants from regrouping.
Meanwhile, Palestinians have accused Israel of pursuing a strategy of “ethnic cleansing” aimed at depopulating the northern area of Gaza to establish a buffer zone, an allegation that Israel has denied.
Hamas does not reveal its casualties. The Palestinian health ministry also does not differentiate between combatants and non-combatants in its daily reported death toll.
On Wednesday, the Israeli military announced that it targeted several Hamas militants who were preparing for an imminent attack on Israeli forces operating in Jabalia.
The U.S. administration, along with mediators from Egypt and Qatar, has been making intensive efforts to advance the talks. They aim to conclude discussions before President Joe Biden leaves office next month.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog met with Adam Boehler, the U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s appointed envoy for hostage affairs, in Jerusalem. Trump has warned that “all hell is going to break out” if Hamas does not release its hostages by January 20, the day he returns to the White House.
CIA Director William Burns was scheduled to visit Doha on Wednesday for discussions with Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani. They aimed to address the remaining gaps between Israel and Hamas, according to knowledgeable sources. The CIA chose not to make a comment on the matter.
Israeli negotiators visited Doha on Monday. Their goal was to find common ground on a deal proposed by Biden in May.
Over the past year, there have been several rounds of negotiations, all of which have failed. Israel wants to maintain a military presence in Gaza, while Hamas insists it will not release hostages until Israeli troops withdraw.
The conflict in Gaza began with a Hamas-led attack on southern Israeli communities. This attack resulted in the deaths of around 1,200 people and led to the abduction of more than 250 individuals as hostages. The situation has created shockwaves throughout the Middle East and has left Israel feeling isolated on the international stage.
Israel’s military campaign has caused the deaths of over 45,000 Palestinians. It has also displaced most of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents and has devastated large areas of the coastal enclave.
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