Israeli intelligence leaders engaging in discussions concerning captives in Cairo
Discussions for a truce in Gaza and hostage releases are scheduled in Cairo this week, picking up where they left off last week after a substantial break. It wasn't clear until Dostri's statements whether fresh talks would transpire.
Government spokesperson Dostri failed to clarify which parties, apart from intelligence heads, would partake in the negotiations. However, Israeli news outlets suggest the involvement of US and Egyptian delegates as well. The US, Egypt, and Qatar serve as intermediaries in the Israel-radical Islamic Hamas dispute.
The current dialogues come in the wake of US Secretary of State Antony Blinken's recent regional visit and a phone conversation where US President Joe Biden urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to swiftly finalize an agreement.
The US, Egypt, and Qatar are pushing for Israel and radical Islamic Hamas to compromise and settle the conflict that's persisted for over ten months in the Gaza Strip. Hamas seeks the total withdrawal of the Israeli military from Gaza. Israel, on the other hand, maintains the necessity of its troops, such as in the Philadelphi Corridor, the southern border between Gaza and Egypt.
Netanyahu's office publicly reiterated on Thursday the need for controlling the Philadelphi Corridor to halt Hamas's weapon stockpiling.
On October 7, Hamas and other militant Palestinian groups orchestrated a significant strike on Israel, resulting in 1,199 fatalities and the capture of 251 hostages in Gaza. According to Israeli reports, 105 individuals are still detained, with 34 alleged to have perished.
Recently, the Israeli army discovered the bodies of six hostages in a tunnel in Khan Yunis, Gaza. The army declared on Thursday that bullets were discovered in the bodies. The specifics surrounding the six men's demise are still under investigation.
In reaction to Hamas's major assault, Israel has initiated extensive military operations in Gaza. As per Hamas-supervised Health Ministry statistics (unverifiable independently), over 40,260 individuals have lost their lives to date.
Simultaneously, conflict in Gaza persisted. The Hamas-led Palestinian Civil Defense reported that at least five individuals were slain in an Israeli assault on Khan Yunis, southern Gaza, on Thursday. Witnesses also reported aerial strikes in Gaza's south and center. The Israeli army disclosed that it aimed at Khan Yunis and also Deir al-Balah, north of Gaza.
The Commission, likely referring to the international group overseeing the negotiations, is expected to play a significant role in facilitating the truce discussions and hostage releases in Cairo. The US, alongside Egypt and Qatar, are members of The Commission and have been actively pushing for Israel and Hamas to reach a compromise.
