Talks involving officials from Qatar, Egypt, Israel and the United States have so far failed to produce an agreement on a pause in Israeli attacks.
Qatar Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said his country’s mediation efforts would continue despite a deal between Israel and Hamas looking unlikely at the moment, as Israel prepares to invade Rafah , in southern Gaza.
The talks, which involved officials from the United States and Egypt, have so far failed to produce results because Hamas and Israel have sharply divergent views.
“The trend of the last few days is not really very promising but… we will always remain optimistic and will always continue to put pressure,” said Sheikh Mohammed, who is also Qatar’s foreign minister, playing a leading role. key mediator at the Munich Security Conference. SATURDAY.
He added that given that the scale of this proposed deal is much larger than the one reached last year, which included a temporary ceasefire and prisoner exchange, challenges are expected.
Al Thani also cited a delay in the “humanitarian part” of the negotiations: Hamas wants Israel to withdraw from Gaza and allow more humanitarian aid into the enclave, but Tel Aviv officials called these “delusional demands “.
Osama Hamdan, senior Hamas spokesperson, told Tel Aviv Tribune: “The main point of disagreement is Netanyahu and his games. He tries not to make any arrangements or agreements. It’s clear.
Hamdan added that Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh had shown a “positive stance” toward negotiations and a “willingness” to achieve a ceasefire in a statement released Saturday, saying the group wanted a complete halt. Israeli attacks on Gaza.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Saturday that a new deal “doesn’t seem very close,” while once again opposing a two-state solution backed by Tel Aviv’s Western allies, as well as countries of the region.
“How can we recognize such a state after the massacre of October 7? It would be a reward for terrorism,” he said in a televised speech, referring to the Hamas attack against which Israel has since retaliated.
Israeli leaders have remained adamant about plans to launch a ground invasion of Rafah, the southernmost area of Gaza where more than 1.4 million of the 2.3 million residents have been forcibly displaced, despite international pressure .
Israeli attacks continue
Israeli forces killed dozens of people Saturday and Sunday in intense shelling and ground attacks in southern Gaza, according to Tel Aviv Tribune journalists reporting from the field.
Gaza’s health ministry estimates the death toll since the start of the war at around 29,000 people, with thousands still missing and many injured.
However, the United States has indicated it will veto a ceasefire resolution proposed by Algeria at the United Nations Security Council, as the US ambassador to the UN said , Linda Thomas-Greenfield, in a press release Saturday evening.
“If it is put to a vote as written, it will not pass,” Thomas-Greenfield said, adding that it “could go against” talks between Hamas and Israel.
The United States has previously used its veto to prevent the UN Security Council from passing resolutions calling for a ceasefire in Gaza.
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) will begin public hearings on Monday into the legal consequences of Israel’s occupation of Palestine. Fifty-two states, a record number, will present their arguments.
The United Nations General Assembly voted to ask the ICJ for an advisory opinion on the occupation in December 2022.
This is distinct from South Africa’s recent complaint against Israel under the Genocide Convention.