Gaza: indirect negotiations between Hamas and Israel resume in Doha

While the rallies for the release of hostages do not weaken in Israel, the Hebrew government confirmed on Saturday the resumption of indirect negotiations with Hamas in Qatar, insisting on the release of people kidnapped on October 7, 2023 by Hamas and held since in the Gaza Strip.

The armed wing of Hamas, as it had already done on several occasions, published on Saturday a video of one of the people kidnapped during the unprecedented attack by the Palestinian movement in Israel on October 7, 2023. Liri Albag, an Israeli 19-year-old, asks in the video the Israeli government to act to obtain his release. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz informed his parents of “ongoing efforts to free the hostages, including the Israeli delegation that left yesterday (Friday) for talks in Qatar.”

Hamas calls for a cessation of hostilities

If Israel emphasizes the release of the hostages, Hamas, which reported on Friday the resumption of discussions, emphasizes the objective of achieving a truce in Gaza. The Islamist group had indicated that the discussions would focus in particular on a “complete cessation of hostilities” and the withdrawal of Israeli troops from the Palestinian territory besieged and devastated by nearly 15 months of war. Israel has not given details of this new round of talks.

New indirect negotiations in December in Doha had revived hopes of a ceasefire, associated with a release of hostages, but Hamas and Israel had once again accused each other of stopping them.

Seven children from the same family killed in Israeli strike

On the ground, Gazan emergency services reported on Saturday at least 31 dead and many injured in several Israeli strikes across the coastal strip. One of them, according to the same source, completely destroyed the house of the al-Ghoula family in Gaza City in the early morning, killing 11 people, including seven children.

Gaza Civil Defense said five security officers, responsible for escorting humanitarian convoys, were also killed by an Israeli strike while they were driving in Khan Younes, in the south of the enclave.

“All the people targeted in this strike were involved in terrorist activities,” responded the Israeli army. She claimed to have fired “from a distance on humanitarian convoys”, but did not comment on the strike on the al-Ghoula family house.

At least 45,717 dead in the Gaza Strip

The war in Gaza was triggered by the Hamas attack in Israel on October 7, 2023, which resulted in the deaths of 1,208 people, the majority civilians, according to an AFP count based on official Israeli figures. That day, 251 people were kidnapped. Among them, 96 remain hostages in Gaza like the young Liri Albag. 34 were declared dead by the army

At least 45,717 people, mainly civilians, have been killed in the Israeli military campaign of retaliation in Gaza, according to the latest report on Saturday from the Hamas Ministry of Health.