Israeli spy chief set for cease-fire talks as Hamas signals truce readiness
Palestinians inspect the damage after an Israeli airstrike in Beit Lahia, in the northern Gaza Strip on October 19, 2024. (AFP Photo)
Israel’s spy chief is set to attend cease-fire talks on Gaza, and Hamas has signaled it would agree to stop fighting if a truce is reached, marking potential progress in efforts to end the year-long war.
Past attempts to broker a cease-fire have collapsed, but the U.S. expressed hope that the killing of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar last week might open the door for negotiations.
A senior Hamas official said the group’s leadership, based in Doha, discussed “ideas and proposals” for a truce with Egyptian officials in Cairo on Thursday.
“Hamas is ready to stop fighting, but Israel must commit to a cease-fire, withdraw from Gaza, allow the return of displaced people, agree to a prisoner exchange, and allow humanitarian aid into Gaza,” the official told news agency AFP.
Egypt’s ongoing efforts to revive cease-fire talks brought Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s support, particularly for the release of hostages held in Gaza.
After the Cairo meeting, Netanyahu directed Mossad’s chief to travel to Qatar on Sunday to pursue mediation efforts, according to his office.
Earlier Thursday, the U.S. and Qatar announced that cease-fire talks would resume in Doha. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Qatari leaders during his 11th trip to the region since Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, which triggered the current war.
Blinken, whose visit comes less than two weeks before U.S. elections, said mediators are exploring new options. He stressed the need for a plan allowing Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza while preventing Hamas from regrouping and helping Palestinians rebuild their future.
Qatar’s Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani said Qatari mediators had resumed contact with Hamas after Sinwar’s death.
Blinken repeated his stance that Sinwar’s death by Israeli forces last week could lead to a breakthrough in negotiations. Israeli and U.S. officials described Sinwar as a key obstacle to a deal that would secure the release of 97 hostages still held in Gaza. Israeli authorities believe 34 of the captives are dead.
Dozens dead in days
Meanwhile, Israeli military operations continue in northern Gaza, where tens of thousands of civilians remain trapped. Gaza’s civil defense agency spokesman, Mahmud Bassal, reported that more than 770 people have been killed in the past 19 days of the Israeli assault.
A strike on a school-turned-shelter in central Gaza on Thursday left 17 people dead, according to Bassal. The Israeli military said it was targeting Hamas militants.
“I hugged my daughter, and through the smoke, I couldn’t see anything,” said Umm Muhammad, a Palestinian woman caught in the attack. “I ran and screamed for my sister, and found her alive, but children were torn to pieces.”
The civil defense agency said it can no longer provide first responder services in northern Gaza, citing Israeli threats to bomb their crews.
Israel’s military says its offensive aims to destroy Hamas’s operational capabilities in the north.
The war, which began after Hamas’s October 7 attack, has claimed 1,206 lives in Israel, mostly civilians, according to official Israeli figures. In Gaza, Israel’s retaliatory strikes have killed 42,847 people, with the majority being civilians, according to figures from the Hamas-run health ministry, which the U.N. deems reliable.
Lebanon conflict escalates
Beyond Gaza, Israel has ramped up military action in Lebanon, vowing to secure its northern border amid near-daily attacks by Hezbollah, a Hamas ally.
Israel launched a massive bombing campaign targeting Hezbollah strongholds and sent ground troops into Lebanon on September 30.
Since September 23, at least 1,580 people have died in Lebanon, according to an AFP tally of Lebanese health ministry figures, though the actual toll may be higher. Three children were among 12 people killed in Israeli strikes on Thursday, Lebanon’s health ministry reported.
Israel said four of its soldiers were killed in fighting in southern Lebanon.
Hezbollah claimed responsibility for attacks on Israeli forces, both within Israel’s borders and on Lebanese territory. The war has caused a significant displacement crisis in Lebanon, which was already grappling with a prolonged political and economic crisis.
A Paris conference raised $800 million in aid for Lebanon, according to French officials. U.N. humanitarian coordinator Imran Riza warned that Lebanon faces the risk of “falling off a humanitarian cliff.”
