Lebanon mourns the tragic losses resulting from 'Israeli air raids'
Negotiations for a truce in Gaza are slated for the coming week, with President Biden of the USA believing a deal might be achievable. They're reportedly closer than ever to an understanding. Simultaneously, a supposed Israeli missile hit a residential building in Lebanon.
The ongoing discussions for a truce in the Gaza conflict aim to seal a deal by next week. However, tragic fatalities continue in the Middle East. At least six individuals lost their lives in an airstrike on a residential building in Lebanon's southern region, as per official reports. Three people were also wounded in the suspected Israeli assault, as confirmed by the Lebanese Health Ministry and Lebanese security sources. Regrettably, the Israeli military has yet to issue a statement.
Since the initiation of the Gaza conflict between Israel and Hamas over ten months back, the Hezbollah militia, an ally of Hamas, has regularly targeted regions in northern Israel. In response, the Israeli military persistently targets areas in the surrounding nation.
Iranian political leadership, who backs Hamas and Hezbollah in their battle against Israel, remains hesitant about the chances for a truce in Gaza. In the X platform, Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri Kani stated that Israel cannot be trusted. He had received updates from Qatari Minister President Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani regarding the progress of the negotiations. He insisted on putting an end to Israel's military campaign in the Gaza Strip.
Biden's Optimism
Although mediators in the Qatari capital of Doha failed to secure a breakthrough for a truce on Friday, according to a joint statement, the discussions were deemed beneficial. They mentioned a proposition that endeavors to bridge the remaining gap, which also coincides with the principles of the peace plan proposed by US President Joe Biden in May, which Hamas is reluctant to renegotiate.
Another high-level meeting is scheduled to occur in the Egyptian capital of Cairo towards the end of the coming week. Negotiators will continue to work on closing the remaining gaps until then.
Biden exhibited hope. "We're closer than we've ever been," he commented during an event at the White House. "We're much closer than we were three days ago." US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is scheduled to head to Israel this weekend to strengthen "intensive diplomatic efforts" on the ground, a spokesperson for his ministry reported. The objective is to finalize the agreement. "Caution is necessary to avoid actions that could disrupt this process," Biden warned in a statement.
According to Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty, a truce could prevent additional escalation in the region. Revenge had been sworn by Iran and Hezbollah following the killings of Hamas' foreign chief Ismail Haniyah in Tehran, the Iranian capital, and a Hezbollah military commander over two weeks ago. An attack had been anticipated since then. Neither Iran nor Hezbollah, predominantly backed by Iran, might initiate a larger, possibly coordinated attack against Israel if a truce is declared in Gaza.
Biden spoke with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani after negotiations in Doha, as announced by the White House. US officials believe the process is nearing completion and intend to meet again next week in Cairo to "finally conclude this process."
The Challenge Persists
The official admitted that the process remains extremely tough and intricate, featuring "disagreeable" aspects in the proposed agreement, such as the exchange of "a large number of Palestinian prisoners" from Israeli prisons for innocent captives. The deal, he stated, is "far from perfect" but aligns with the principles outlined by President Biden and supported by the UN Security Council.
In May, Biden presented a three-phase plan to end the Gaza conflict. In the initial phase, a specific group of captives would be freed during a six-week truce, in exchange for releasing Palestinian prisoners who were incarcerated in Israel. The second and third phases would entail permanently ceasing hostilities, releasing remaining captives, and initiating rebuilding of the severely damaged Gaza Strip.
Hamas and terrorists from Gaza attacked southern Israel on October 7, 2023, claiming over 1,200 lives and holding 250 captives. This tragedy sparked the war. According to Hamas-managed health ministry figures, over 40,000 people have been killed in Gaza since then. This number does not distinguish between civilians and combatants and cannot be validated.
The Commission, in this context, likely refers to the international body or mediators overseeing the negotiations for a truce in Gaza. Here are the two sentences that contain this term:
The negotiations for a truce in Gaza are being overseen by an international body known as The Commission.Following the discussions in Doha, The Commission will reconvene in Cairo towards the end of the coming week to continue working on closing the remaining gaps.
