By Nidal Al-Mughrabi
The U.S. has said it expects indirect talks to go ahead as planned in Qatar's capital Doha on Thursday, and that a ceasefire agreement was still possible, while warning that progress was needed urgently to avert a wider war....
...The delegation includes Israel's spy chief David Barnea, head of the domestic security service Ronen Bar and the military's hostages chief Nitzan Alon, a defence official said....
These are the conditions that Hamas identifies as necessary in a ceasefire with Israel.
...By resolution 2735 (2024) (click here) (to be issued as document S/RES/2735(2024)), the 15-member organ noted that the implementation of this proposal would enable the following outcomes to spread over three phases,...
...the first of which would include an immediate, full and complete ceasefire with the release of hostages; the return of the remains of some hostages who have been killed; the exchange of Palestinian prisoners; withdrawal of Israeli forces from the populated areas in Gaza; the return of Palestinian civilians to their homes; and the safe and effective distribution of humanitarian assistance at scale throughout Gaza.
Phase two would see a permanent end to hostilities in exchange for the release of all other hostages still in Gaza and a full withdrawal of Israeli forces from the area....
Phase two would see a permanent end to hostilities in exchange for the release of all other hostages still in Gaza and a full withdrawal of Israeli forces from the area....
...Phase three would mark the start of a major multi-year reconstruction plan for Gaza and the return of the remains of any deceased hostages still in the Strip to their families.
Further by the text, the Council underlined that — if the negotiations take longer than six weeks for phase one — the ceasefire will continue as long as negotiations continue. The Council also rejected any attempt at demographic or territorial change in the Gaza Strip, including any actions that reduce the Strip’s territory.
The representative of the United States, speaking before the vote, said that “the last eight months have been nothing short but devastating” both for Israelis who lost loved ones on 7 October and Palestinian civilians who “are living through sheer hell”, fleeing from one place to another in search of elusive safety.
“The only way to bring about a durable end to this war” is a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, she stressed, adding that Israel has agreed to a comprehensive deal on the table, which is nearly identical to Hamas’ own proposal. “Now we are all waiting for Hamas to agree to the ceasefire deal it claims to want, but we cannot allow to wait and wait,” she stated, noting that “with every passing day, needless suffering continues”....
Further by the text, the Council underlined that — if the negotiations take longer than six weeks for phase one — the ceasefire will continue as long as negotiations continue. The Council also rejected any attempt at demographic or territorial change in the Gaza Strip, including any actions that reduce the Strip’s territory.
The representative of the United States, speaking before the vote, said that “the last eight months have been nothing short but devastating” both for Israelis who lost loved ones on 7 October and Palestinian civilians who “are living through sheer hell”, fleeing from one place to another in search of elusive safety.
“The only way to bring about a durable end to this war” is a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, she stressed, adding that Israel has agreed to a comprehensive deal on the table, which is nearly identical to Hamas’ own proposal. “Now we are all waiting for Hamas to agree to the ceasefire deal it claims to want, but we cannot allow to wait and wait,” she stated, noting that “with every passing day, needless suffering continues”....
