U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff was expected to arrive in Israel on Thursday in a bid to salvage Gaza ceasefire talks and tackle a humanitarian crisis in the Palestinian enclave, where a global hunger monitor has warned that famine was unfolding.
Indirect ceasefire talks between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas in Doha ended in deadlock last week © Mena Today
U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff was expected to arrive in Israel on Thursday in a bid to salvage Gaza ceasefire talks and tackle a humanitarian crisis in the Palestinian enclave, where a global hunger monitor has warned that famine was unfolding.
Indirect ceasefire talks between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas in Doha ended in deadlock last week with the sides blaming trade for the impasse and gaps remaining over issues including the extent of Israeli forces' withdrawal.
Witkoff, who will meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, arrives as Israel faces mounting international pressure over Gaza, with Canada the latest Western power to say it will recognise a Palestinian state.
Israel on Wednesday sent a response to Hamas' latest amendments to a U.S. proposal that would see a 60-day truce and the release of hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, a source familiar with the details said.
There was no immediate comment from Hamas.
Qatar and Egypt, who are mediating the ceasefire efforts, backed a declaration on Tuesday by France and Saudi Arabia which outlined steps for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
The declaration says Hamas "must end its rule in Gaza and hand over its weapons to the Palestinian Authority", which is led by its rivals and based in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Israel has rejected the Palestinian Authority gaining control of Gaza.
Israel has denounced declarations by France, Britain and Canada since last week that they may recognise a Palestinian state, which Israel says amounts to rewarding Hamas for its October 7, 2023 attack on Israeli territory.
That attack, when fighters killed 1,200 people took 251 hostages back to Gaza, precipitated the war.
By Maayan Lubell and Nidal al-Mughrabi
Israel's new offensive in Gaza City could take weeks to start, leaving the door open for a ceasefire, officials say, even as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said it would get underway "fairly quickly" and end the war with Hamas' defeat.
French President Emmanuel Macron’s call for a United Nations–mandated mission to secure and administer Gaza has been met with skepticism from critics who view it as a calculated attempt to regain international relevance rather than a coherent geopolitical strategy.
Israel aims to take on Hamas' two remaining strongholds in its new Gaza offensive, which it hopes will conclude "fairly quickly" and end the war, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday.
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