War in Middle East - Hamas representative: no halt to negotiations with Israel
A representative of the political wing of the Islamist Hamas denies reports that indirect negotiations with Israel over a ceasefire and the release of hostages have been broken off. This is not the case that Hamas made such a decision after the Israeli air raid in the southern Gaza Strip on Saturday, according to a statement on the Hamas channel on Telegram.
The Israeli army attacked the leader of Hamas' military wing, Mohammed Deif, in the Gaza Strip on Saturday, killing and injuring dozens of people. It was initially uncertain whether Deif was killed or injured in the air raid. A Hamas representative in Beirut denied on Sunday that Deif had been killed.
Reports: New round of talks in Qatar planned
According to Israeli media reports, the head of the Israeli foreign intelligence service Mossad, Daniel Barnea, is planning to travel to the Qatari capital Doha in the coming days for another round of hostage negotiations.
In the ongoing talks for months, the issue is the exchange of the remaining hostages in the possession of Hamas for Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons, as well as a ceasefire in the Gaza War. The indirect talks are progressing slowly. Israel has so far rejected Hamas' demand for a permanent ceasefire.
Trigger of the war was the unprecedented massacre committed by Hamas terrorists and other extremist Palestinian organizations in the southern part of Israel on October 7. In this attack, they killed more than 1200 people and abducted over 250 as hostages into the Gazastrip.
- The cancellation of indirect negotiations between Hamas and Israel over a ceasefire and hostage release has been denied by a Hamas representative, disputing reports that such a decision was made following an Israeli air raid in the Gaza Strip.
- Despite initial uncertainty, a Hamas representative in Beirut firmly denied the death of Mohammed Deif, the leader of Hamas' military wing, who was targeted in an Israeli army attack in the Gaza Strip on Saturday.
- According to Israeli media reports, Mossad's head, Daniel Barnea, is planning to travel to Doha for another round of hostage negotiations, focusing on the release of remaining hostages in Hamas' possession and Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons, while aiming for a ceasefire in the Gaza War.
- The ongoing talks for months have seen slow progress due to Israel's rejection of Hamas' demand for a permanent ceasefire, as part of the exchange for the remaining hostages and a ceasefire in the Gaza War.
- The trigger for the war was an unprecedented massacre carried out by Hamas terrorists and other extremist Palestinian organizations in the southern part of Israel, which resulted in the deaths of over 1200 people and the abduction of over 250 hostages into the Gaza Strip.
- In the context of the ongoing conflicts between Hamas and Israel, the Islamic Resistance Movement in the Palestinian territories and Tel Aviv have been a significant source of tension, with negotiations for a ceasefire and hostage release serving as a potential avenue towards peace.
