Cairo, cease-fire talks continue in Gaza

Hamas' leaders met today for the second consecutive day with Egyptian mediators in Qatar in an effort to reach a ceasefire in Gaza. Palestinian officials said there is no apparent progress as the Islamic group conditions any possible agreement with the ban on war in Gaza. But the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyyah, has rejected any possibility of ending the war until the elimination of Hamas. Israel has hinted it can accept an agreement that would require the release of 20 to 33 Israeli hostages in exchange for the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners and a several-week ceasefire.

A Palestinian official, who has knowledge of mediation efforts, said the Hamas delegation had gone to Cairo with the intention of reaching an agreement, but not at any price, as he put it.

He told Reuters news agency, under anonymous conditions, that the agreement should end the war in Gaza and that Israeli forces must withdraw, which Israel has not pledged he is willing to do.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday that if Israel agrees with Hamas' <x0 extreme” “7 next October is only a matter of time”, as he put it.

The drop before Hamas' demands would be a terrible defeat for the state of Israel. It would be a big victory for Hamas, Iran and the entire axis of evil”.

Despite increasing pressure on reaching an agreement, the Israeli prime minister insists on the mission's goal of eliminating Hamas.

“Israel will not agree with Hamas' demands, which means surrender. But we will continue the war until all its objectives are achieved”

Egyptian and American mediators have reported signs of compromise during the last days.

However, the chances of a ceasefire agreement remain unclear. The main point is whether Israel would agree to end the war without achieving its stated purpose to destroy the militant group of Hamas.

The war began after Hamas entered Israeli territory on October 7th, killing 1,200 people and taking 252 others hostage, according to Israeli data.

The Gaza Health Ministry, controlled by Hamas, says more than 34,600 Palestinians have been killed and more than 77,000 others have been injured in Israeli attacks. The bombings have destroyed most of Palestinian territory and caused a humanitarian crisis.

On Friday, a senior UN official said that in northern Gaza, hit hard by war and Israel's strict restrictions on food shipments, the stressed “uria” reigned.

Egypt and Qatar, where Hamas has a political office, are trying to mediate a ceasefire amid international concerns about the high death toll in Gaza and the plight of its 2.3 million inhabitants.

Israel has hinted it can accept an agreement that would require the release of 20 to 33 Israeli hostages in exchange for the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners and a several-week ceasefire.

Thousands of Israelites protested on Saturday, calling on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyah to accept a ceasefire agreement. / VOA