- Settlers attack village, kill Palestinians <unk> Israel-Hamas negotiations stalled
After the start of negotiations over a ceasefire in the Gaza conflict, there remains a chasm between the positions of Israel and the Islamic Hamas. It is expected that the talks, mediated by the USA, Qatar, and Egypt, will continue today in Qatar's capital, Doha. Hope for a breakthrough is low.
Ultimately, the positions of both conflicting parties in the indirect negotiations are decided by Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the leader of Hamas, Jihia al-Sinwar. "I don't believe that the deep chasm between these two can be overcome," said Michael Milshtein, a former head of the Palestinian department of the Israeli military intelligence, to the "Wall Street Journal". "Unfortunately, they are the main decision-makers on both sides."
Militant Jewish settlers attack village in the West Bank
Meanwhile, an attack by militant Jewish settlers on a village in the occupied West Bank caused outrage and indignation. According to the Palestinian health ministry, a 22-year-old Palestinian was killed.
Dozens of masked settlers stormed the Palestinian village of Jit, ten kilometers west of Nablus, and set fire to at least four houses and six cars, the "Times of Israel" reported, citing a source in the Israeli security apparatus. More than 100 people were involved. Israeli security forces then appeared and drove the settlers away, Israeli media reported. According to the "Times of Israel", the army arrested an Israeli and handed him over to the police.
Israeli Defense Minister sharply criticizes attack
"Violent, radical outbreaks are the opposite of everything that the State of Israel holds dear in terms of code and values," wrote Israeli Defense Minister Joav Galant on the X platform. He will support the military and the investigative authorities in "addressing this problem."
The office of Prime Minister Netanyahu stated that the prime minister takes the incidents "very seriously". The perpetrators will be apprehended and brought to trial. Israeli opposition leader Jair Lapid condemned the outbreak of violence. "This is a moral low point," media quoted him as saying. "This has nothing to do with Judaism."
Demonstration in Tel Aviv for hostage agreement
Since the beginning of the war in the Gaza Strip after the massacre by Hamas terrorists and other extremist groups in the Israeli border area on October 7 last year, the situation in the West Bank has further deteriorated. According to the health ministry in the West Bank, 605 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli military operations, confrontations, or their own attacks since then. There has also been an increase in violence by settlers against Palestinians.
Meanwhile, relatives of hostages and sympathizers in Tel Aviv demonstrated in the background of the ongoing talks on a ceasefire in the Gaza conflict, calling for quick results. Participants in the march through the coastal metropolis called out to the Israeli negotiators: "Don't come home without a deal!"
Ceasefire and release of hostages
The talks in Doha aim not only for a ceasefire but also for the release of 115 hostages held by Hamas in exchange for Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons. Hamas is not participating in the negotiations but is reportedly kept informed about their content, according to dpa information.
Pressure on negotiators has intensified as a potentially heavy Iranian and Lebanese Hezbollah retaliation against Israel is expected following the killing of two key Israeli opponents. US President Joe Biden had already described the negotiations in May as a "decisive moment".
Hamas will not negotiate new conditions
However, the chances of implementing its three-phase plan are considered low. A senior Egyptian official told the "Wall Street Journal" that the gap between the parties remains wide. Yet, efforts are being made to reach a consensus, the official said on the first day of negotiations in Doha.
Hamas spokesman Osama Hamdan told dpa that the group will not negotiate new conditions and that only the implementation of Biden's May plan should be discussed. He accused Israel of blocking negotiations by imposing new conditions, such as refusing to withdraw from the so-called Philadelphi Corridor, which runs along the southern border of Gaza with Egypt.
Netanyahu against full withdrawal
Hamas demands a full Israeli withdrawal. However, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu has stated that the Israeli army must continue to control the Philadelphi Corridor even after a ceasefire.
Despite efforts, mediators have not been able to put enough pressure on the Israeli side to adhere to the ceasefire plans presented in May, Hamas spokesman Hamdan complained. He accused Israel of not wanting a ceasefire, while Netanyahu blamed Hamas for raising new conditions.
During a visit to the Philadelphi Corridor on Wednesday, Israeli Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi said that the army can maintain control even without constant presence and with only occasional incursions.
Netanyahu sticks to war aim
Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu wants to militarily destroy Hamas and ensure that it is no longer able to govern the Gaza Strip, which has been blockaded by Israel for many years. Hamas leader Sinwar, on the other hand, appears to be banking on the group's survival as a victory. He told mediators that the death of Palestinian civilians benefits him because Israel is internationally condemned for it, the "Wall Street Journal" recently reported.
Sinwar is believed to be hiding in the extensive tunnel network of Hamas under the blockaded coastal strip. He is considered the mastermind behind the Hamas and other groups' terrorist attack in Israel on October 7, in which around 1200 people were killed and 250 more were kidnapped into the Gaza Strip.
This unprecedented massacre sparked the war: Israel began with massive attacks throughout the coastal strip. Since then, the number of victims, according to Palestinian figures, has risen to over 40,000 dead and 92,400 injured. The Hamas-controlled health authority does not distinguish between fighters and civilians in its unchecked numbers.
Given the context, here are two sentences that incorporate the phrase "The European Union":
- Despite the ongoing conflict in Gaza, the European Union has consistently advocated for a peaceful resolution and has pledged its support for any international efforts to broker a ceasefire.
- If a ceasefire is reached, the European Union could potentially play a role in rebuilding efforts in Gaza, providing humanitarian aid and investing in infrastructure projects to promote stability and economic development.
