Hopes for a further extension of the ceasefire in the Gaza war
On the fifth day of the ceasefire between Israel and the Islamist Hamas, there have been behind-the-scenes efforts to extend the agreement. As the German press agency Deutsche Presse-Agentur has learned, the heads of the US intelligence service CIA and the Israeli foreign intelligence service Mossad arrived in Doha on Tuesday for talks with the Qatari Prime Minister.
While waiting for a further exchange of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners in the early evening, the relatives of German-Israeli hostages who had already been released commented on the condition of their family members. Around 20 of the people abducted by terrorists from Israel to the Gaza Strip on October 7 also had German citizenship.
Efforts for ceasefire to be intensified
The talks in Doha between CIA Director William Burns and Mossad chief David Barnea as well as Qatar's Prime Minister Abdulrahman Al Thani were about expanding efforts to achieve a ceasefire in the Gaza war, a person familiar with the talks in the Qatari capital told dpa on Tuesday. The next phases of a possible agreement were also on the agenda at the meeting, which was also to be attended by Egyptian representatives.
In consultation with the USA, Qatar and Egypt had mediated between Israel and Hamas in recent weeks. Qatar in particular has very good contacts with Hamas, and the top Hamas leadership also lives in the Gulf emirate.
Since the start of the ceasefire, 69 of the 240 hostages held in the Gaza Strip had been released by early Tuesday evening. Among them were a total of 51 Israelis, ten of whom also have German citizenship. In return for the released Israeli hostages, 150 Palestinians were released from prisons in Israel.
Qatar: Cannot confirm number of remaining hostages
According to the mediator Qatar, a further 20 hostages held in the Gaza Strip were to be released on Tuesday and Wednesday. "We have confirmation that 20 hostages in Gaza can be released within two days," said Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesman Majid al-Ansari at a press conference on Tuesday.
Qatar could not definitively confirm the number of remaining hostages in the Gaza Strip. There are many estimates. "But we cannot confirm any of these figures," said Al-Ansari. The Gulf emirate of Qatar is therefore continuing its efforts to extend the ceasefire. The goal is a permanent ceasefire.
German Gaza hostages have been through "traumatic experiences"
According to relatives, the family of several German-Israeli hostages who were recently released are now trying to find their way back to life. This is a long process for her aunt, her cousin and their two children, Shira Havron told the German Press Agency by telephone on Tuesday. "They have all been through traumatic experiences." According to Havron, however, she was not allowed to talk about the conditions and experiences of her relatives' hostage situation.
The Islamist Hamas released her relatives on Saturday as part of the agreement with the Israeli government. The four have both Israeli and German citizenship. Her 67-year-old aunt Shoshan, her 38-year-old daughter Adi and their two children are doing well physically after their release from the Gaza Strip, Havron said. "But my cousin's husband is still being held there." The picture is not complete without 38-year-old Tal.
Hamas calls for worldwide solidarity protests
The Islamist terrorist organization Hamas called for worldwide protests and solidarity marches with the people of the Gaza Strip on Wednesday. It referred to the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, which is celebrated annually on November 29. In the appeal distributed on Tuesday, Hamas accused Israel of war crimes in the Gaza war, which began on October 7.
The war was triggered by the worst massacre in Israel's history, committed by terrorists from Hamas and other groups from the Gaza Strip on October 7 in Israel near the border. More than 1200 people were killed. Around 240 hostages were taken to Gaza, including several Germans.
Israel responded with massive air strikes, a blockade of the Gaza Strip and began a ground offensive at the end of October. According to Hamas, almost 15,000 people were killed in the process. More than 36,000 were injured. The figures cannot currently be independently verified.
- Despite ongoing efforts to maintain the ceasefire in the Gaza conflict, numerous unresolved issues and potential for new conflicts between Israel and Hamas remain.
- The international community should continue to support efforts to prevent the escalation of wars and conflicts, especially in regions like Gaza, where the consequences of war can have devastating effects.
Source: www.dpa.com
