Middle East New attempt for Gaza ceasefire and Geisel deal
There is renewed hope in the efforts for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and the return of Israeli hostages. According to his office, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu authorized the dispatch of a negotiating delegation to Qatar on Friday.
03.01.2025, 02:16
SDA
Together with Egypt and the USA, the Gulf state is mediating between Israel and Hamas, who reject direct negotiations. Hamas also wanted to send negotiators.
A high-ranking Hamas representative expressed optimism. "The chances are good that the negotiations will be successful this time," Mussa Abu Marsuk told the Qatari newspaper "Al-Arabi Al-Jadid". He did not say what his optimism was based on. There have often been signs of hope, and they have been disappointed every time. A compromise is difficult because Israel and Hamas want to destroy each other.
Israel is demanding a list of the names of the living hostages held in the Gaza Strip. According to media reports, Hamas has stated that it needs a pause in the fighting in order to find out the whereabouts and state of health of the hostages. Israel considers this to be a pretextual claim. According to the reports, Hamas is demanding that Israel commit to an end to the war, which Israel rejects.
The war was triggered by the unprecedented Hamas massacre in Israel on October 7, 2023, which left 1,200 dead and around 250 hostages in Israel.
