Hamas leader visits Cairo, a sign of movement on possible Gaza truce and hostage swap

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — Hamas’ prime chief traveled to Cairo on Wednesday for talks on the warfare in Gaza, a part of a flurry of diplomacy aimed toward securing one other cease-fire and hostage swap at a second when the militant group is placing up stiff resistance to Israel’s offensive.

Ismail Haniyeh’s go to got here a day after Hamas fired rockets that set off air raid sirens in central Israel, a present of power throughout a 10-week warfare that has devastated a lot of northern Gaza, killed almost 20,000 Palestinians, and pushed some 1.9 million — almost 85% of the inhabitants — from their houses.

Israel has referred to as on the remainder of the world to blacklist Hamas as a terrorist group, saying it should be eradicated within the wake of its Oct. 7 rampage throughout southern Israel that triggered the warfare.

However the sides have not too long ago relaunched oblique talks, mediated by Egypt and Qatar, aimed toward instituting one other cease-fire and releasing extra hostages captured in that assault in change for Palestinians imprisoned by Israel.

Cell phone and web service was down throughout Gaza once more on Wednesday, an outage that would complicate efforts to speak with Hamas’ leaders contained in the territory who went into hiding after Oct. 7.

A large hole in talks on hostages

Regardless of a burst of exercise by high-level officers in current days, the 2 sides seemed to be removed from an settlement.

Hamas has mentioned no extra hostages might be launched till the warfare ends, and is anticipated to insist on the discharge of huge numbers of Palestinian prisoners, together with high-level militants, for the captives that stay — calls for Israel has up to now rejected.

Egypt, together with Qatar, helped mediate a weeklong cease-fire in November wherein Hamas freed over 100 hostages in change for Israel’s launch of 240 Palestinian prisoners. Hamas and different militants are nonetheless holding an estimated 129 captives.

Hamas mentioned that Haniyeh — who’s believed to be primarily based in Qatar however whose actions are hardly ever publicized — would talk about the warfare with Egyptian officers, with out offering extra particulars.

Ziad Nakhaleh, the chief of the smaller Palestinian Islamic Jihad militant group, which took half within the Oct. 7 assault and can be holding hostages, mentioned he had additionally been invited to Egypt for talks and would journey there within the coming days.

Egypt, which borders Gaza, is deeply involved a couple of potential inflow of Palestinian refugees, fearing Israel is not going to permit them to return.

Israel says “remaining clearing” underway within the north of Gaza

At the least 46 folks had been killed and greater than 100 wounded early Wednesday as Israel continued to bombard the city Jabaliya refugee camp close to Gaza Metropolis, in accordance with Munir al-Bursh, a senior Well being Ministry official.

In southern Gaza, a number of ladies and kids had been amongst these introduced into Nasser Hospital within the metropolis of Khan Younis after strikes in a single day and into Wednesday. A boy may very well be seen sobbing subsequent to his wounded mom, who was laid out on a stretcher, earlier than being lifted up and positioned on her chest.

Protection Minister Yoav Gallant mentioned Tuesday that Israeli forces had been coming into Hamas’ tunnel community in northern Gaza as a part of a “remaining clearing” of militants from the area. The densely constructed city north — together with Gaza Metropolis, the territory’s largest — has seen ferocious preventing, with Palestinian well being officers reporting dozens of individuals killed in bombardment in current days.

Gallant mentioned that in southern Gaza, the place the army launched a floor incursion targeted on Khan Younis in early December, operations will take “months.”

The Well being Ministry in Hamas-run Gaza mentioned Tuesday the loss of life toll because the begin of the warfare had risen to greater than 19,600. It doesn’t distinguish between civilian and combatant deaths.

Hamas and different militants killed some 1,200 folks, principally civilians, within the Oct. 7 assault.

Israel’s army says 134 of its troopers have been killed within the Gaza floor offensive. Israel says it has killed some 7,000 militants, with out offering proof, and blames civilian deaths on Hamas, saying it makes use of them as human shields when it fights in residential areas.

UN members are pushing for an assist decision

U.N. Safety Council members are negotiating an Arab-sponsored decision to halt the preventing in a roundabout way to permit for a rise in desperately wanted humanitarian assist deliveries to Gaza. A vote on the decision, first scheduled for Monday, was pushed again once more till Wednesday as talks continued within the hopes of getting the U.S. to abstain or vote “sure” on the decision after it vetoed an earlier cease-fire name.

France, the UK and Germany — a few of Israel’s closest allies — joined international requires a cease-fire over the weekend. In Israel, protesters have referred to as for negotiations with Hamas to facilitate the discharge of scores of hostages nonetheless held by the group.

Israel says it’ll maintain preventing till it has eliminated Hamas from energy, dismantled its armed wing and returned all of the hostages. U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration has referred to as on Israel to take larger steps to spare civilians however has continued to offer diplomatic and army assist for the offensive.