On Tuesday, days before Ramadan, Israel and Hamas’ ceasefire talks stalled. Three days of discussions between the US, Qatar, and Egypt failed when Hamas refused to release prisoners unless Israel paused its onslaught, which Tel Aviv rejected.
A six-week truce was offered in exchange for Hamas rescuing 40 captives. The terrorist organization demanded that Israel halt its attack, evacuate from Gaza, and release many Palestinian captives before releasing them. The U.S., Qatar, and Egypt, mediators, were disappointed by the lack of progress.
Hamas delivered a mediator-mediated proposal to Israel, with talks continuing on Wednesday. The organization insists on a lasting truce and Israeli departure.
U.S. officials questioned Hamas’s commitment to a settlement, citing its refusal to provide captive names. Secretary of State Antony Blinken stressed that Hamas must decide.
No Israeli team attended the last round of negotiations as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected Hamas’ requests and vowed to prolong the fighting until Hamas is dissolved.
Despite tensions, the U.S. and Jordan airdropped 36,800 meals over northern Gaza to ease the humanitarian crisis. The UNICEF regional director for the Middle East and North Africa condemned the dehydration and malnutrition deaths of at least 10 children in northern Gaza as avoidable. As Ramadan approaches, Israeli-Palestinian tensions rise, making a quick settlement necessary.
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