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 Defence Minister Israel Katz declared Monday that Israeli forces would remain in Lebanon, Syria and Gaza for an indefinite period, in a pointed statement that makes no reference to the US-Iran framework agreement announced the same day.
Authorities in southern Lebanon warned people displaced by three months of war between Israel and Hezbollah against rushing home on Monday despite a U.S.-Iran deal to end the wider conflict, as Israel said it would not withdraw troops from the south.
Let us call it what it is. The framework agreement on Iran is not a peace deal. It is a capitulation dressed up in diplomatic language, and its most immediate victims are the two countries that have paid the highest price in blood and treasure to confront Iran's aggression: Israel and Lebanon.
To make this website run properly and to improve your experience, we use cookies. For more detailed information, please check our Cookie Policy.
Necessary cookies enable core functionality. The website cannot function properly without these cookies, and can only be disabled by changing your browser preferences.