Cease-fire talks with Israel and Hamas could resume as soon as Sunday
| Cairo
Stalled talks aimed at securing a cease-fire in the聽war between Israel and Hamas聽are expected to restart in earnest in Qatar as soon as Sunday, according to Egyptian officials.
The talks would mark the first time both Israeli officials and Hamas leaders joined the indirect negotiations since the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. International mediators had hoped to secure a six-week truce before聽Ramadan started earlier this week, but Hamas refused any deal that wouldn鈥檛 lead to a permanent cease-fire in Gaza, a demand Israel rejected.
In recent days, however, both sides have made moves aimed at getting the talks, which never fully broke off, back on track.
Hamas gave mediators a new proposal for a three-stage plan that would end the fighting, according to two Egyptian officials, one who is involved in the talks, and a second who was briefed on them. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to reveal the contents of the sensitive discussions.
The first stage would be a six-week cease-fire that would include the release of 35 hostages 鈥� women, those who are ill, and older people 鈥� being held by militants in Gaza in exchange for 350 Palestinian prisoners being held by Israel.
Hamas would also release at least five female soldiers in exchange for 50 prisoners, including some serving long sentences on terror charges, for each soldier. Israeli forces would withdraw from two main roads in Gaza, let displaced Palestinians return to north Gaza,聽which has been devastated by the fighting, and allow the free flow of aid to the area, the officials said.
Nearly one in three children under 2 years old in the isolated north are suffering acute malnutrition, the U.N. children鈥檚 agency UNICEF reported Friday.
In the second phase, the two sides would declare a permanent cease-fire and Hamas would free the remaining Israeli soldiers held hostage in exchange for more prisoners, the officials said.
In the third phase, Hamas would hand over the bodies it鈥檚 holding in exchange for Israel lifting the blockade of Gaza and allowing reconstruction to start, the officials said.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the proposal 鈥渦nrealistic.鈥� However, he agreed to send Israeli negotiators to Qatar for more talks.
Those talks were expected to resume Sunday afternoon, though they could get pushed to Monday, the Egyptian officials said.
Mr. Netanyahu鈥檚 government has rejected calls for a permanent cease-fire, insisting it must first fulfill its stated goal of 鈥渁nnihilating Hamas.鈥� Mr. Netanyahu鈥檚 office also said Friday he approved military plans to attack Rafah, the southernmost town in Gaza where some 1.4 million displaced Palestinians are sheltering.
The United States and other countries have warned聽such an operation could be disastrous, but Israel says it plans to push ahead to destroy Hamas battalions stationed there.
Many Palestinians fled to Rafah when Israel began attacking Gaza following the聽Oct. 7 Hamas attack聽on southern Israel that killed 1,200 people and left another 250 hostage in Gaza.
Mr. Netanyahu鈥檚 office said the Rafah operation would involve the evacuation of the civilian population, but did not give details or a timetable. The military said Wednesday聽it planned to direct civilians to 鈥渉umanitarian islands鈥澛爄n central Gaza.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Friday: 鈥淲e have to see a clear and implementable plan鈥� to safeguard innocent people in Rafah from an Israeli incursion.
鈥淲e have not seen such a plan,鈥� he said.
The Gaza Health Ministry said Saturday that at least 31,553 Palestinians have been killed in the war. The ministry聽does not differentiate聽between civilians and combatants in its count but says聽women and children聽make up two-thirds of the dead.
Israel鈥檚 offensive has driven most of Gaza鈥檚 2.3 million people from their homes.聽A quarter of Gaza鈥檚 population is starving, according to the United Nations.
This story was reported by The Associated Press.聽AP writers Bassem Mroue in Beirut and Jack Jeffery in Jerusalem contributed to this report.
