Devendra Kumar
The latest round of ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas ended in Cairo with little hope of progress, as Israel again rejected key Hamas demands. The talks, mediated by Egypt and Qatar, had shown some signs of progress earlier, but appeared to have stalled. Israel’s Defence Minister, Yoav Gallant, claimed that Hamas was not serious about a deal and warned of a “powerful operation” in the near future, after Hamas attacked Israel’s main crossing point for delivering humanitarian aid, killing three soldiers. Hamas, on the other hand, said it targeted soldiers in the area.
Despite Egypt’s efforts to revive the talks, Israel refused to send a delegation to the talks and instead accused Hamas of planning a major operation in the Gaza Strip. The Israeli military claimed that Hamas was targeting soldiers massed on the Gaza border in preparation for a possible invasion, while Hamas said it was targeting soldiers in the area.
The closing of Israel’s Kerem Shalom crossing point, the main entry point for aid into Gaza, has put an additional strain on the territory’s already dire humanitarian situation. The head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, Philippe Lazzarini, called for an independent investigation into the closing of the crossing and “accountability for the blatant disregard of humanitarian workers”.
Israel’s refusal to accept a ceasefire deal has put further pressure on the territory’s residents, who are already living in squalid conditions. The UN World Food Programme has warned of a “full-blown famine” in northern Gaza, where over half of the 2.3 million residents now seek shelter from Israeli attacks.
The Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has continued to rule out a ceasefire deal, claiming that Israel has shown willingness to make concessions but will continue to fight until all of its objectives are achieved. He also accused Hamas of planning a major operation in Rafah, where more than half of Gaza’s residents now seek shelter.
In his annual Holocaust memorial day remarks, Netanyahu added that Israel would “defend ourselves in every way, we will overcome our enemies and we will ensure our security, in the Gaza Strip, on the Lebanese border, everywhere”. Hamas, on the other hand, reiterated its commitment to the talks and its demand for the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza and an end to the war.
The Gaza Strip remains a disaster zone, with over 34,500 people killed and 250 taken hostage, according to Palestinian health officials. The international community has called for a ceasefire and humanitarian aid to be allowed into the territory, but so far, Israel has refused to accept a deal.