CAIRO: Gaza ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas resumed in Cairo on Saturday, with mediators exploring new compromise proposals as the United Nations warned about the worsening humanitarian conditions and increasing famine amid polio outbreak in the besieged Palestinian territory.
Israeli military strikes in Gaza killed at least 50 Palestinians on Saturday, the territory’s health authorities said. Victims of hostilities over the past 48 hours remain lying on roads where Israeli bombardment continues or trapped under rubble, the authorities said.
The health ministry in Gaza reported on Saturday that the ongoing Israeli bombardments since October 7 have resulted in the deaths of at least 40,334 Palestinians. The United Nations Human Rights Office has reported that the majority of the casualties are women and children. In the past 48 hours alone, 69 Palestinians have been killed, with 93,356 people wounded since the onset of the conflict.
The talks, which involve Israel, Hamas, and mediating countries including Egypt, Qatar, and the United States, come amid continued hostilities that have exacerbated the dire conditions in Gaza.
A Hamas delegation arrived in Cairo to engage directly with the mediators and review any new proposals. Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani was also expected to attend the talks.
Despite ongoing efforts, the negotiations have yet to yield a breakthrough in ending Israel’s extensive military campaign in Gaza or securing the release of hostages taken by Hamas in the October 7 attack.
The US, Egypt, and Qatar have been engaged in efforts to broker a truce and end over 10 months of conflict between Hamas and Israel.
The latest round of negotiations, which have seen varying degrees of optimism, has encountered a major obstacle: the potential permanent deployment of Israeli troops along the Gaza-Egypt border, known as the Philadelphi Corridor. This issue has become a significant sticking point in the ceasefire talks.
A senior Hamas official said that while a delegation from the Palestinian group is heading to Cairo, they will not be directly participating in the negotiations. Instead, the delegation will be briefed by Egyptian officials on the progress of the talks.
The Hamas official reiterated that the Palestinian group has consistently maintained its position of non-participation in this round of negotiations, insisting on the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, including the border area with Egypt.
The framework for the talks is based on a proposal outlined by US President Joe Biden on May 31, which is seen as an Israeli proposal. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been adamant about retaining troops along the border with Egypt.
CIA chief William Burns is among the US officials involved in the Cairo talks, alongside the heads of Israel’s spy agency and security service. An Egyptian source close to the negotiations said that Sunday’s discussions will be crucial in formulating a potential agreement, contingent on Washington’s ability to exert pressure on Netanyahu.
The latest proposals under discussion include potential compromises on issues such as securing key areas and facilitating the return of displaced people to northern Gaza. However, key disagreements persist, notably Israel’s demand to retain control of the Philadelphi Corridor along the Gaza-Egypt border.
Hamas has accused Israel of defaulting on previous agreements, a claim that Israel denies, while Hamas also alleges that the United States is not mediating in good faith.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is reportedly at odds with Israeli negotiators over whether troops should remain stationed along the Gaza-Egypt border. A Palestinian official involved in the mediation efforts said that it is too early to determine whether the latest talks will lead to a change in Israel’s stance.
The continued conflict has had severe repercussions for Gaza’s 2.3 million residents, who are struggling with widespread displacement, malnutrition, and disease. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that food aid to Gaza in July was among the lowest since the beginning of the siege imposed by Israel.
The incidence of acute malnutrition among children in northern Gaza has increased fourfold compared to May, while in the south, the number has more than doubled.
The World Health Organization (WHO) also reported on Friday that a 10-month-old baby in Gaza had been paralyzed by polio, marking the first such case in the territory in 25 years. The outbreak raises concerns of a larger epidemic due to poor sanitation conditions in the war-torn region.
The ongoing conflict also has the potential to escalate further, with regional tensions heightened by the recent assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran. Iran is reportedly considering retaliation.
Meanwhile, US Air Force General C.Q. Brown, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, began an unannounced visit to the Middle East on Saturday. His visit aims to address ways to prevent further escalation and potential broader conflicts.
