There are glimmers of hope for a long ceasefire in Gaza that would encourage a new prisoner exchange. According to Washington, Israel has “more or less” accepted the agreement for a six-week pause in the war and “the ball is now in Hamas's court.”
The goal remains an agreement before the start of Ramadan, on March 10, but as always the negotiations are hanging by a thread, also because the Netanyahu government seems to be adamant on one point: the Palestinian faction has yet to hand over the list of hostages alive . While waiting for a ceasefire, international humanitarian aid efforts have increased.
After Joe Biden's announcement, the United States launched the aid operation with military aircraft, thereby providing aid to the population. After numerous stopovers, the Egyptian capital will once again become the focus of the negotiations. According to security sources in Cairo, talks will resume tomorrow to reach a ceasefire that would allow the release of more hostages.
For Israel, a senior diplomatic official made clear, the key issue is not the return of civilians to the northern strip, but the identity of the hostages released by Hamas and the number of Palestinian prisoners released for each hostage. The Palestinian faction has not yet responded to these questions and Israel expects an answer no later than Monday, the diplomat added. While a Biden administration official confirmed that “the Israelis have more or less accepted the closure,” the idea would be that of a “six-week ceasefire if Hamas agrees to release the vulnerable hostages.” The pressure on the hostages from Israeli citizens towards their government is also increasing. Tens of thousands took to the streets in Jerusalem, demanding that everyone return home. On the ground, Jewish state forces continued their offensive against Hamas, bombing virtually the entire Gaza Strip.
Learn more 
ANSA agency Hamas announces the death of 7 hostages “in an Israeli raid” – Middle East – Ansa.it The EU condemns the massacre in Gaza. Borrell: “Unacceptable bloodbath.” Paris calls for an independent investigation. Israel surprisingly releases 50 Palestinian prisoners. US will provide aid to Palestinians by dropping military aircraft (ANSA)
In the news of this latest day of conflict, Palestinian sources reported raids on some houses in Deir al-Balah and Jabalia in the center and north, respectively, leaving at least 17 people dead. Over 10 casualties were counted in the south in Rafah, where a tent containing displaced people was hit. And all this while the shock remains great over the massacre of Palestinians last Thursday, which left over 100 dead and 700 injured during aid deliveries. According to the director of Al-Awda Hospital in Jabalia, where many of the wounded were taken, about 80% of them had gunshot wounds. Even the UN, which visited the facility, confirmed this. However, the Israeli army confirmed that most people died in the crush. And he defined the claim that we deliberately attacked the convoy as “baseless. We were there to protect this operation,” an IDF spokesman assured. Meanwhile, the EU, through High Representative Joseph Borrell, has again called for “an impartial international investigation”. Delivering aid remains Gaza's biggest challenge, as the WHO has reported that at least ten children have died of malnutrition in recent days. The USA also attacked directly: three C-130s from Air Forces Central dropped 66 packages containing around 38,000 meals. Following the example of Egypt, Jordan, the Emirates and France. The Israeli military broadcaster described the US air force intervention as “a clear sign of dissatisfaction” by Washington with its ally over the serious humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip. Biden himself emphasized that the incoming aid is “insufficient,” and the administration notes that “providing assistance overland” remains necessary. This and much more will be discussed on Monday in the United States, where Benny Gantz is expected to meet with Vice President Kamala Harris and National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan.
Reproduction reserved © Copyright ANSA