KATHMANDU: As negotiations move closer to a possible deal to end the 14-month battle in Gaza, Israel and Hamashave accused one another of impeding attempts to negotiate a truce. Despite unsolved issues, both parties seem closer to an agreement than in past months.
The exchange of hostages for Palestinian inmates and the removal of Israeli troops from Gaza are major issues of contention in the negotiations, according to local officials in Qatar. Progress is being slowed down by these unsolved problems.
Hamas claimed on Wednesday that Israel had added fresh demands on troop withdrawals, prisoner releases, and displaced people's return, which further delayed the agreement's completion.
On the other hand, the Israeli government charged that Hamas was reversing earlier agreements. Both parties affirmed that conversations are still ongoing in spite of these charges.
If an agreement is struck, it would be a major step forward, ensuring the release of scores of hostages who are being held in Gaza. However, despite reaching comparable phases of hope, previous conversations over the past year have frequently fallen apart.
Israel Katz, the Israeli Defense Minister, reaffirmed Wednesday that Israeli military rule will continue to govern Gaza's security. Katz, speaking from the Philadelphi corridor in the Gaza Strip, underlined Israel's dedication to preserving "buffer zones" to protect its communities.
Katz stated in a ministry-released video that the Israeli military would "act in any way necessary" to eliminate threats from Gaza, signaling continued Israeli military presence even as talks proceed.
Hamas and other organizations kidnapped some 250 hostages during the October 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel and transported them to Gaza. More than 100 captives were freed during a previous truce in November 2023, and some have since been rescued or their corpses have been found.
Israel estimates that there are still about 100 hostages in Gaza. It is estimated that at least one-third of these people perished in captivity or were murdered in the raid.
Families of hostages are becoming more and more irate and are pleading with the Israeli government to seek a ceasefire before the inauguration of US President-elect Donald Trump. Israeli negotiators are under more pressure as a result of their calls.
Families of captives held a press conference in Tel Aviv this week following the return of Israel's negotiating delegation from Doha. They pleaded with the authorities to guarantee their loved ones' release and give a truce first priority.
The seriousness of the situation was emphasized by Shir Siegel, whose Israeli-American father Keith Siegel is still in prison. She cautioned that delays raise the risk to the captives' lives, saying, "Every second is fateful."
The planned deal would be implemented in stages, with an initial halt in hostilities, a swap of hostages for Palestinian detainees, and increased supplies for Gaza. Later stages would include the war's conclusion, the release of the remaining captives, and the start of reconstruction negotiations.
There has been tremendous destruction as a result of the battle. Over 45,000 Palestinians have been murdered by Israeli ground operations and shelling, with women and children accounting for more than half of the deaths, according to Gaza's Health Ministry.
