A spokesman said Friday that Israeli negotiators had gone to Cairo for talks on a Gaza truce, but there was no agreement yet on the presence of the Israeli military in the southern border of Gaza.
On Thursday evening, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s spokesperson Omer Dostri revealed that Mossad chief David Barnea and Shin Bet domestic security service head Ronen Bar were in Egypt, “negotiating to advance a hostage (release) agreement.”
Egypt is trying to broker a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, with Qatari and American mediators involved in seeking an end to the 10-month-long conflict.
The US Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited the region this week to emphasize that there is little time left for a deal which should “be done over the next few days.”
Territorial witnesses referred to combat in its north section on Friday, heavy shelling at central part and tank fire far south near Rafah city.
Just when it seemed as though things might be easing off, tens of thousands more people have moved out of Deir el-Balah and Khan Younis this week after Israeli military evacuation orders were issued prior to operational activity.
According to UN estimates, uprooting nearly 90% of Gaza’s population has occurred during this war – often more than once -leaving them homeless with lack of water supply or any other basic life’s needs. In such conditions diseases are spreading.
‘No way to live’
“With no end in sight,” Muhannad Hadi, UN humanitarian coordinator for Palestinian territories said later on Thursday continuing: Civilians are exhausted and frightened moving from one destroyed place into another.
“This cannot continue,” he concluded
Israel’s military announced on Friday morning that soldiers had killed dozens of militants around Khan Yunis and Deir al-Balah over the past day.
In April troops withdrew from Khan Yunis after months of devastating fighting only for them to be deployed back there, leaving civilians feeling they had no place to go.
Haitham Abdelaal said, “Every time we arrive somewhere, we get a new evacuation order two days later. This is no way to live.”
The war was triggered by Hamas’ unprecedented 7 October attack on southern Israel and ended in the deaths of 1,199 people, mostly civilians according to an Parami tally based on Israeli official figures.
Israeli campaigns against Gaza have resulted in 40,265 dead Gazan Palestinians according to the territory’s health ministry run by Hamas which does not differentiate between combatants and non-combatants. Most of those killed are women and children according to OHCHR.
Out of a total of 251 hostages taken by Palestinian militants from inside Gaza Strip following their attack on October 7th, the military says that there are still 105 being held there including the dead (34).
This week, ‘six hostages’ remains were found within a tunnel located at Khan Yunis area by IDF soldiers who revealed bullet holes in them yesterday.
“An investigation into the circumstances surrounding their deaths continues,” said a military spokesperson when asked about this development.
‘Now is the time’
Following threats of reprisals from Tehran and its allies which blamed Israel for these killings — thus sparking off fears of an all-out war — diplomatic attempts are increasing towards reaching a Gaza truce.
US Vice President Kamala Harris, at her Democratic party’s Chicago-based presidential nomination ceremony said “we need a hostage deal now and ceasefire deal”.
The US President Joe Biden’s basis of talks was outlined late in May and he called it Israeli proposal.
Biden had earlier suggested that if it happens then Palestine would release its prisoners from jails inside Israel for a six week full and complete truce period.
Under the plan, Israeli forces will pull out from every populated area of Gaza.
During his visit to the region, Blinken stated that Netanyahu had accepted US “bridging proposal” which is “very clear on schedule and locations” for withdrawal of Israelis.
According to an article in the Yediot Aharonot newspaper, however, “the Americans understood the mistake” made by Blinken when he talked about Netanyahu’s acceptation of a particular proposal.
A few days ago Prime Minister`s office denied reports in media that said “Netanyahu has agreed that Israel will withdraw” out of Philadelphia corridor calling them incorrect.
In order to prevent Hamas from getting rearmed again, Prime Minister holds onto control over the corridor along Egyptian border.
Hamas has supported Biden’s plan as initially proposed. But it also argued that US bridging proposal “satisfies Netanyahu’s demands”, accusing him of obstructing an accord.
The Red Sea Rescue
In addition, Hamas noted three more places: Philadelphi corridor where they alleged that Netanyahu insisted on retaining control; another location and lastly one other location.
However, Iran-backed groups across Middle East have threatened greater retaliation against Israel but the war has already sucked them in for months already.
Lebanon’s Hezbollah movement and Israeli forces have exchanged near-daily fire over their border, while Huthi rebels in Yemen are reported to have made dozens of missile and drone strikes against shipping in surrounding waters vital to world trade.
On Friday, sailors from an oil tanker attacked by Huthis in the Red Sea were rescued by mariners of an European Union naval mission. These guys however have been urged to avoid sailing through that region henceforth.
On Thursday this week, Central Command reported that two Huthi drones over the Red Sea and another drone in rebel-held part of Yemen had been destroyed by American forces.
