After signs of progress, the outlook appears to be darkening.
Israel closed its main crossing point to deliver much-needed humanitarian aid to Gaza following the Hamas attack.
The defense minister claimed Hamas was not serious about a deal and warned of “a powerful operation in the very near future in Rafah and other locations throughout Gaza.”
Israel did not send a delegation to the talks brokered by Egypt and Qatar, and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said that “we see signs that Hamas has no intention of reaching a agreement “.
Egyptian state media reported that the Hamas delegation had traveled for talks to Qatar, where the group has a political office, and would return to Cairo on Tuesday for further negotiations.
Another threat to the negotiations came when Israel ordered the closure of local offices of Qatar’s satellite news network Al Jazeera, accusing it of broadcasting anti-Israel incitement. The ban does not appear to affect the channel’s operations in Gaza or the West Bank.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, under pressure from his government’s hardliners, continued to lower his expectations for a ceasefire deal, calling Hamas’s main demands “extreme,” including withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza and the end of the war.
That would amount to a surrender after the Oct. 7 Hamas attack that sparked the fighting, Mr. Netanyahu said.
Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh said earlier in a statement that the militant group was serious and positive about the negotiations and that stopping Israeli aggression in Gaza was the main priority.
But the Israeli government has again pledged to continue a military operation in Rafah, Gaza’s southernmost town on the border with Egypt, where more than half of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents are now seeking refuge from Israeli attacks. Rafah is a key entry point for aid.
Kerem Shalom, now closed, is another. The Israeli military reported that 10 projectiles were launched at the crossing into southern Israel and said its warplanes then struck the source.
Hamas said it was targeting Israeli soldiers in the area. Israel’s Channel 12 television said 10 people were injured, three of them seriously. It was unclear how long the passage would be closed.
The head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, Philippe Lazzarini, called for an independent investigation and “accountability for the blatant disregard for aid workers”.
He also said Israel had this week denied him entry to Gaza for the second time.
The closure of Kerem Shalom came shortly after the head of the World Food Program (WFP) claimed there was “widespread famine” in devastated northern Gaza, one of the most prominent warnings yet update on the toll on restrictions on food and other aid entering the country. territory.
These comments did not constitute a formal declaration of famine.
In further remarks as the full NBC interview was released Sunday, WFP chief Cindy McCain said the famine was “moving south” in Gaza and that Israel’s efforts to allow more The aid was not enough.
“We need more capacity to be able to bring in more trucks,” she said. “We currently have a mass at the external border, enough trucks and enough food for 1.1 million people for about three months. We have to integrate this.
Gaza’s vast humanitarian needs place additional pressure on the continuation of a ceasefire. The proposal that Egyptian mediators submitted to Hamas calls for a three-step process that would result in an immediate six-week ceasefire and the partial release of Israeli hostages taken during the October 7 attack, and which would include a sort of Israeli withdrawal.
The initial phase would last 40 days. Hamas would begin by releasing female civilian hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.
Mr. Netanyahu said Israel had shown a willingness to make concessions, but said it would “continue to fight until all its goals are achieved.”
This includes the stated goal of crushing Hamas. Israel says it must target Rafah to strike fighters who remain there, despite warnings from the United States and other countries about the danger to civilians.
An Israeli strike Sunday on the al-Attar family home in an urban refugee camp near Rafah killed four children, including a baby, and two adults, according to Abu Youssef al-Najjar Hospital.
In subsequent remarks on Israel’s annual Holocaust Remembrance Day, Netanyahu added: “We will defend ourselves by all means.” We will defeat our enemies and ensure our security, in the Gaza Strip, on the Lebanese border, everywhere.
Hamas’ October 7 cross-border attack killed some 1,200 people and took 250 others hostage.
Israel says militants still hold around 100 hostages and the remains of more than 30 others. Mr Netanyahu is under increasing pressure from the families of some hostages to reach a deal to end the war and free the hostages.
The Israeli air and ground offensive has killed more than 34,500 people, according to Palestinian health officials, who do not differentiate between civilians and fighters but say women and children make up the majority of those killed.
Israel blames Hamas for civilian deaths, accusing it of establishing itself in residential and public areas.
The Israeli military claims to have killed 13,000 militants, without providing evidence to support its claims.
