Palestinian-Israeli Ceasefire Talks: Mediation and Hostage Exchange
Envoys of the Palestinian militant group and the United States were expected to meet with mediators from Qatar and Egypt for the third day of negotiations regarding a six-week ceasefire, the exchange of dozens of remaining hostages in Gaza for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, and the flow of aid to Gaza, reports News.ro.
Israeli delegates have so far remained distant from negotiations, despite increasing diplomatic pressure for a ceasefire before the upcoming Ramadan at the beginning of next week.
The Israeli press reported that the country's mediators boycotted the talks after Hamas failed to provide a list of live hostages. However, Hamas's chief leader, Bassem Naim, stated to AFP that details regarding the prisoners 'have not been mentioned in any document or proposal circulated during the negotiation process'.
Israel stated that, in its opinion, 130 out of the 250 prisoners taken by Hamas in the October attack that triggered the war remain in Gaza, but 31 have been killed.
As conditions in the besieged Palestinian territory deteriorate and the spectre of famine looms, Israel faces increasingly harsh reproaches from its main ally, the United States.
Vice President Kamala Harris expressed her 'deep concern about the humanitarian conditions in Gaza' during discussions held Monday in Washington with Benny Gantz, a member of the Israeli war cabinet.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
