Israel and Hamas commence indirect negotiations in the Egyptian city on American Palestinian ceasefire initiative.
News Agency
Indirect talks focused on achieving a final agreement on a US peace plan to halt hostilities in Gaza have started in the Egyptian city of the Egyptian resort town.
Middle Eastern and regional officials have reported that the discussions are centered around "establishing the groundwork" for a possible exchange that would involve the liberation of all detained individuals in exchange for a group of incarcerated individuals.
Hamas has said it agrees to the negotiation framework partially, but has failed to address several key demands - including its military demobilization and governance position in Gaza.
Israel's prime minister said on recently that he expected to reveal the liberation of hostages "soon"
Historical Framework
The talks, which will feature regional and international officials conducting mediation with teams from both the two sides in isolation, take place on the eve of the two-year mark of the Hamas-led attack on border communities on the initial attack date, in which nearly 1,200 people were fatally wounded and 251 individuals were taken hostage.
The armed forces initiated operations in Gaza in retaliation. From that point, 67,160 have been killed by defense force actions in Gaza, according to the area's Hamas-run health ministry.
Initiative Components
The 20-point plan, which has been endorsed by American leadership and the Netanyahu government, proposes an quick halt to fighting and the freeing of 48 detained individuals, only a portion are thought to be surviving, in return for multiple hundreds of detained Gazans.
The framework requires that once the two parties approve the plan "complete assistance will be promptly delivered into the Palestinian territory"
It also declares that the militant group would have no involvement in political leadership, and it leaves the door open an future Palestinian sovereignty.
Current Situation
Recently, Hamas responded to the proposal in a statement, in which the group approved "to release all captured individuals, both surviving and deceased, according to the exchange formula specified by the US initiative" - if the proper conditions for the exchanges are met.
It omitted reference to or accept the detailed initiative but said it "reaffirms its commitment to relinquish the governance of the conflict zone to a governing council of technocrats, based on local agreement and international backing"
The statement failed to address of one of the essential conditions of the initiative – that Hamas consent to its disarmament and to playing no further role in the administration of Gaza.
Regional Reactions
Gaza inhabitants described the group's reaction to the peace plan as surprising, after an extended period of indications that the organization was considering denial or at least significantly qualify its approval of the US framework.
Instead, the militant group excluded its traditional "red lines" in the formal declaration, a action many interpret as a evidence of external pressure.
Global and local officials have supported the initiative. The governing body, which controls areas of the Palestinian territories, has described the US president's efforts as "authentic and resolute"
Iran - which has been one of the organization's key backers for decades - has also recently indicated its backing of Trump's Gaza peace plan.
Ongoing Reality
Israeli bombardment carried on in multiple areas of the Gaza Strip on the beginning of the week prior to the negotiations starting.
Israel is carrying out an military operation in the city, which it has stated is designed to securing the liberation of the outstanding captives.
A spokesperson, speaking for Gaza's civil protection agency, stated that "no aid trucks have been authorized access for the urban center since the offensive began four weeks ago"
"Victims remain we cannot access from areas under Israeli control" he said.
Hundreds of thousands of the urban center have been forced to flee after the armed services mandated relocations to a established protection region in the southern region, but additional numerous individuals are believed to have remained.
Israel's defence minister has admonished that those who remain during the military operation would be "combatants and their sympathizers"
In the previous day, 21 residents have been killed in Gaza and a additional 96 injured, the Hamas-run health ministry said in its latest update.
Global media representatives have been prohibited by the government from visiting the Palestinian territory autonomously since the start of the conflict, making confirming reports from both sides challenging.