The United States began a new round of talks this Monday to promote a ceasefire in Gaza after eight months of war.
Israel’s dramatic rescue of four hostages in the Gaza Strip over the weekend, in an operation in which, according to local health authorities, 274 Palestinians diedoccurred at a delicate moment in the war, which lasts eight months nowwhile Israel and Hamas weigh a US proposal for a ceasefire and the release of the rest of the captives.
Both sides face new pressures to reach an agreement: The complex rescue is unlikely to be repeated on the scale needed to recover dozens of hostages, and was a powerful reminder to the Israelis that there are still survivors held in harsh conditions. Hamas now has four fewer bargaining chips.
But it could also dig in, as it has repeatedly done during months of indirect negotiations mediated by the United States, Qatar and Egypt. Hamas continues to insist on end of war as part of any agreementwhile Israel claims that it continues committed to destruction of the militant group.
The United States resumes negotiations
Following Israel’s massacre on Saturday, Antony Blinken has begun talks on Gaza. The US Secretary of State began this Monday a new visit to the region in the shadow of the turmoil in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government.
Blinken met with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi in Cairo, but neither made public statements. He also plans to travel to Israel, Jordan and Qatar.
Although President Joe Biden, Blinken and other US officials have praised the hostage rescue, the operation resulted in the deaths of a large number of Palestinian civilians.y could complicate the ceasefire attempt by emboldening Israel and hardening Hamas’ resolve to continue fighting the war it began with its October 7 attack on Israel.
The Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza has killed more than 36,730 peopleaccording to the Gaza Ministry of Health, which does not distinguish between combatants and civilians in its count.
Palestinians face a widespread famine because the war has largely cut off the flow of food, medicine and other supplies. UN agencies say more than a million people in Gaza could experience the highest level of starvation by mid-July.
