Gaza Ceasefire Talks Challenged by Netanyahu’s Tough 4 Conditions
Last Updated on August 17, 2024 8:13 am
The international community is repeatedly discussing the implementation of a cease-fire by Israeli forces in Gaza. Last Thursday, Qatar, Egypt and the United States mediated another round of talks with Israel in Doha, Qatar. But those talks have now been challenged by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s four tough conditions. Anadolu Agency.
Since the beginning of the ceasefire in Gaza, Israel has been making various threats. In the meantime, the country’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has added several conditions to the demand for a ceasefire. His first condition is that Israeli forces create a new ‘Netzarim Corridor’ in Gaza, dividing northern and southern Gaza. Ensure that armed Palestinians cross this corridor from central Gaza to northern Gaza. Second condition – Israel will control the Philadelphia Corridor along the Egyptian border and the Rafah crossing between Egypt and Gaza. Israel has been controlling this corridor and crossing since last May. In the third condition, Netanyahu’s demand, Hamas must provide information on how many Israeli prisoners are alive in Gaza; And in exchange for them, Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons will be released. In the final condition, Netanyahu claims, Israel wants the right to deny the release of any prisoner that Hamas wants to release. At the same time, the country wants to send the released Palestinian prisoners to a third country.
Earlier, Israel joined the meeting in Qatar’s capital Doha for a ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement in the besieged Gaza. However, the Palestinian independence group Hamas did not participate. According to a report by the American media Washington Post, Qatar, Egypt and the United States are known as mediating countries in the Israel-Palestine war.
Israel has been attacking Gaza continuously for more than 10 months. In such a situation, Israel and Hamas are called to meet with mediator countries for a cease-fire and prisoner exchange in Gaza. Thursday was the first day of ceasefire talks in the Qatari capital, Doha. However, Hamas did not participate in the talks. In this situation, the meeting is starting again on the second day on Friday.
According to the latest estimates from the Hamas Health Ministry, the death toll in Gaza has exceeded 40,000. More than 16 thousand of them are children. Hamas has refused to participate in any kind of negotiations under such circumstances. Meanwhile, a US official said about the ongoing meeting in Doha, “constructive discussions” were held on the first day of the meeting. In this context, a member of Hamas, Hossam Badran, said, ‘The way the attack is being carried out in Gaza is an obstacle to the progress of the ceasefire in the valley. That’s why Hamas officials did not attend Thursday’s talks.
Jewish settlers burn houses and cars in the West Bank: Israeli settlers burned several houses and cars in a village in the occupied West Bank. Israeli settlers torched several houses and cars in a village near the West Bank city of Nablus on Thursday evening, the BBC reported.
The Palestinian Ministry of Health reported that one person was killed and another seriously injured in an arson attack in Zeit village of Nablus. Footage posted on social media shows that houses and vehicles have been burnt in Jit village. A plume of smoke can be seen rising into the sky over the village. The Israeli military confirmed the incident, saying that some masked settlers attacked the village of Zeit on Thursday evening. The IDF said that the investigation of the incident is ongoing. One person has already been arrested. Condemning the attack, Israeli political leaders said they vowed to punish the attackers.