As well-known and well-connected Israeli journalist Barak Ravid of the Axios news portal announced on Saturday night via X (Twitter), the Israeli war cabinet decided in the evening to send a mandate-limited delegation to the emirate.
In Qatar, in the coming days, the delegation is expected to discuss technical issues, such as the amount of aid to the Gaza Strip, among others. Ravid cited Israeli sources. Israeli media also reported that a delegation had been sent.
Egyptian security sources said on Sunday that Qatar would host mediation talks between Israel and Hamas next week. The aim is to conclude an agreement on a ceasefire, he said.
Security advisor spoke of “room for maneuver”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's national security advisor, Zachi Hanegbi, left the N12 television channel with tips on Saturday night: “The delegation has returned from Paris, there is obviously room to get closer to an agreement,” said the advisor to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. security.
IMAGO/Pacific Press Agency/Lev Radin Hanegbi, Israel's national security adviser, expressed some confidence
Egyptian Broadcaster: “Expert” Talks Are Underway
Meanwhile, Egyptian broadcaster al-Kahera News reported on Sunday that talks between “experts from Egypt, Qatar, the United States and Israel” and Hamas representatives continued in Doha. They are a “continuation of what was discussed in Paris” and will be “followed by meetings in Cairo”. It is not yet clear which negotiators were involved here.
“Significant progress”
An Israeli delegation had already met in Paris with representatives from Egypt, Qatar and the USA, which are mediating the war between Israel and Hamas. The heads of the Israeli foreign secret service, Mossad, and the domestic secret service, Shin Bet, were also present.
According to reports, “significant progress” has been made. The negotiations went “very well”, the Israeli newspaper “Haaretz” reported on Saturday, citing unidentified people who were familiar with the details of the meeting.
Wake up before Ramadan?
An agreement could be reached before the start of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, the newspaper said, citing a foreign diplomat. Ramadan starts around March 10 this year. According to Israeli representatives, there is still a long way to go before reaching an agreement on a ceasefire and the release of the hostages.
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Middle East: What can peace look like?
National Security Advisor Hanegbi emphasized: “Such an agreement does not mean the end of the war.” He also highlighted that Israel would not accept an agreement between the US and Saudi Arabia on a Palestinian state.
Around 130 hostages remain held by the Islamic group Hamas, which, together with other extremist groups, attacked southern Israel on October 7 last year, killing 1,200 people and kidnapping another 250 to Gaza. Israel is pushing for the release of all Hamas hostages, especially women.
Thousands in demonstrations over hostage agreement
On Saturday, thousands of people took to the streets in several Israeli cities to demand the release of hostages held by Hamas and against Netanyahu's government. Protest participants in Tel Aviv carried banners reading “You are the leader!” in Netanyahu. You're to blame!”
Protests: clashes in Tel Aviv
Talks on a ceasefire and hostage agreement are progressing in the Middle East. Meanwhile, clashes broke out during anti-government protests in Tel Aviv.
A growing number of critics accuse the head of government of mismanaging the country before and after the terrorist attack by Hamas and other extremist groups in southern Israel on October 7. They accuse him of subordinating everything to his own political advantage when making important decisions.
Israeli army continues attacks in Gaza
Meanwhile, the Israeli army launched new attacks against Hamas in the Gaza Strip on Sunday night and Sunday morning. In the southern city of Khan Yunis, the military captured several terrorist militia fighters, the army command said. It is said that they hid among civilians who were preparing to leave the combat area. More gunmen were killed and weapons were found in the area.
Destroyed and damaged buildings in Gaza from October 2023 to January 2024, according to UNOSAT satellite analysis
Additionally, an airstrike eliminated a Hamas cell preparing a drone attack. The military carried out a major operation in the al-Saitun district of Gaza city. Found weapons caches and destroyed a missile launch site. The information could not initially be independently verified.
Palestinian sources report many casualties
Palestinian sources, however, spoke of many civilian casualties in recent Israeli attacks. Three Palestinians were killed in an Israeli bomb attack on a residential building in the Sabra district on Sunday morning, Palestinian news agency Wafa reported.
Dozens of other people, including women and children, were killed by Israeli artillery and airstrikes in Khan Yunis and Gaza City. This information could not initially be independently verified. According to the Hamas-controlled Ministry of Health, nearly 29,700 Palestinians have been killed in the Gaza Strip since the start of the war with Israel. Since then, 69,879 Palestinians have been injured in the coastal area.