Israel and Hamas signal readiness for new ceasefire
Hanijeh, who lives in Qatar, will lead a "high-ranking" Hamas delegation to Egypt on Wednesday, according to sources close to the Palestinian organization. Among other things, talks are planned with the powerful Egyptian intelligence chief Abbas Kamel.
The meetings should be about "stopping the aggression and the war in order to prepare an agreement for the release of prisoners and an end to the siege of the Gaza Strip ", according to Hamas circles. It is also a matter of delivering aid to the Gaza Strip, a withdrawal of the Israeli army from the Palestinian territory and a return of the population to the north of the Gaza Strip.
In November, 105 hostages and 240 Palestinians imprisoned in Israel were released during a week-long humanitarian ceasefire. This was brokered by Qatar with the support of Egypt and the USA.
According to Israeli information, 129 hostages are still being held in the Gaza Strip. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said at a meeting with the hostages' families on Tuesday that it was "our duty" to secure the release of all hostages. According to the US news portal "Axios", Israel has proposed a new ceasefire of at least one week via Qatar in order to free the hostages.
Meanwhile, the militant Palestinian group Islamic Jihad published a video showing two hostages in the Gaza Strip. One after the other, the men call for pressure to be increased on Israel in order to secure their release.
On 7 October, hundreds of fighters from Hamas, which is classified as a terrorist organization by the EU and the USA, invaded Israeli towns and committed atrocities against civilians. According to Israeli reports, around 1140 people were killed and around 250 people were taken hostage in the Gaza Strip.
In response, the Israeli army has since bombed targets in the Gaza Strip and launched a ground offensive. According to the Hamas-controlled Ministry of Health, which cannot be independently verified, more than 19,660 people have been killed so far.
On Wednesday, the United Nations Security Council wanted to continue its deliberations on a new resolution on the Gaza war with a call for a ceasefire. The planned vote was postponed from Monday to Tuesday and then from Tuesday to Wednesday.
Since the beginning of the Gaza war, the UN's most powerful body has adopted one resolution calling for "humanitarian pauses". However, five other draft resolutions failed. Most recently, on December 8, the USA vetoed the adoption of a resolution for an "immediate humanitarian ceasefire". The USA - a close ally of Israel - justified its rejection on the grounds that a ceasefire would help Hamas.
Meanwhile, the German government is considering participating in a US-led international military coalition to protect shipping in the Red Sea from attacks by the Yemeni Houthi militia. "We recognize the need to take action here and support the US approach," government circles said on Tuesday, according to the "Süddeutsche Zeitung".
Der Spiegel reported that representatives of the Chancellery, the Federal Foreign Office and the Federal Ministry of Defense had agreed to support the "Operation Prosperity Guardian" mission. However, as this would require a parliamentary mandate and the German navy cannot spare a suitable ship in the short term, the Bundeswehr is not expected to participate quickly.
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- The Hamas delegation, led by Ismail Hanijeh who resides in Qatar, is set to visit Egypt with the aim to discuss a new ceasefire with Israeli authorities.
- To prepare an agreement for the release of prisoners and an end to the siege of the Gaza Strip, the Hamas delegation will engage in talks with Egyptian intelligence chief Abbas Kamel.
- During their visit, the Hamas delegation will also discuss deliveries of aid to the Gaza Strip, the withdrawal of the Israeli army, and the return of the population to the north of the Gaza Strip.
- Previously, a week-long humanitarian ceasefire was brokered by Qatar in November, leading to the release of 105 hostages and 240 Palestinian prisoners in Israel.
- However, according to Israeli sources, 129 hostages are still being held in the Gaza Strip, prompting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to call for their release.
- In an attempt to secure the release of the remaining hostages, Israel has proposed a new ceasefire of at least one week via Qatar to the USA.
- The militant Palestinian group Harakat el-Mukawame el-Islamije, classified as a terrorist organization by the EU and the USA, has released a video featuring two hostages calling for increased pressure on Israel for their release.
- In response to the attacks on Israeli towns by Hamas in October, resulting in over 1140 deaths and 250 hostages, the Israeli army launched a ground offensive in the Gaza Strip.
- Despite this, Benjamin Netanyahu and the USA have been reluctant to support a ceasefire, fearing it would only benefit Hamas and strengthen their position.
Source: www.stern.de
