Stalled talks aimed at securing a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas are expected to officially resume in Qatar on Sunday, according to Egyptian officials.
The talks will mark the first time Israeli officials and Hamas leaders have joined indirect talks since the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. International mediators had hoped to reach a six-week truce before the start of Ramadan earlier this week, but Hamas has rejected any deal that does not lead to a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, and Israel has rejected the demand.
In recent days, however, both sides have taken action aimed at getting talks that were never completely disrupted back on track.
Hamas has presented mediators with a new proposal for a three-phase plan to end the fighting, two Egyptian officials said, one of whom was involved in the talks and another who was briefed on the talks. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to disclose the content of sensitive discussions.
The first phase will be a six-week ceasefire that will see the release of 35 hostages – women, sick and elderly people – held by Gaza militants in exchange for 350 Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.
Hamas will also release at least five female soldiers in exchange for 50 prisoners per soldier, including some serving long sentences on terror charges. Israeli troops will withdraw from Gaza’s two main roads, allowing displaced Palestinians to return to battle-torn northern Gaza and allowing aid to flow freely into the area, officials said.
Nearly a third of children under two years old are severely malnourished in remote northern regions, the U.N. children’s agency said on Friday.
In the second phase, officials said, the two sides would declare a permanent ceasefire and Hamas would release remaining Israeli soldiers held hostage in exchange for more prisoners.
In the third phase, officials said, Hamas would hand over the bodies it holds in exchange for Israel lifting its blockade of Gaza and allowing reconstruction to begin.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the proposal “unrealistic.” However, he agreed to send Israeli negotiators to Qatar for more talks.
Egyptian officials said those talks were expected to resume on Sunday afternoon but could be delayed until Monday.
Netanyahu’s government has rejected calls for a permanent ceasefire, insisting that the stated goal of “eradicating Hamas” must first be achieved.
Attack on Rafah
Netanyahu’s office also said on Friday that he approved military plans to attack Gaza’s southernmost town of Rafah, where some 1.4 million displaced Palestinians, more than half of the enclave’s population, have taken refuge.
On October 7, Hamas launched a terrorist attack in southern Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking another 250 hostages. Subsequently, Israel attacked Gaza and many Palestinians fled to Rafah.
The United States and other countries have warned that military action in Rafah could have catastrophic consequences, but Israel has said it plans to continue destroying Hamas camps there.
Netanyahu’s office gave no details or timeline for the Rafah operation but said it would involve the evacuation of civilians. The military said it planned to direct civilians to a “humanitarian island” in central Gaza.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Friday that the United States has yet to see a “clear and enforceable plan” to protect innocent people in Rafah from an Israeli invasion.
Israeli attacks continue
The health ministry in Hamas-controlled Gaza said on Saturday that at least 31,553 Palestinians had been killed in the war. The ministry does not distinguish between civilians and combatants when counting deaths, but said women and children accounted for two-thirds of the fatalities.
Earlier on Saturday, an Israeli attack razed a house in a refugee camp in the Nuseirat urban area of central Gaza, killing at least 19 people, including nine children, according to records from Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital. An Associated Press reporter saw the body there.
Israel’s offensive has driven most of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents from their homes.A quarter of Gaza’s population is hungry, according to UN
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