Differences 'remain big' between parties negotiating Gaza ceasefire
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Al Qahera News TV reports that Egypt is intensifying its efforts to broker a ceasefire and prisoner exchange deal in the two-day negotiations round in Qatar.
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In this image taken from a video released by the Israeli occupation forces on Tuesday, November 14, 2023, an Israeli soldier holds a weapon in Gaza City, occupied Palestine. (AP)
The gaps between the Israeli regime and Palestinian Resistance Hamas in the ongoing indirect ceasefire and prisoner exchange negotiations in Qatar's capital Doha "remain big," Al Qahera News TV reported on Thursday citing a high-ranking Egyptian source.
The Egyptian delegation is reportedly ramping up its diplomatic efforts to broker an agreement in Gaza as the two-day negotiations continue, the source said.
Read more: Hamas sees no solid ground for agreement in US-Egypt-Qatar statement
Parties involved in the discussions are set to continue their meetings on Friday, an official informed on the matter told Reuters, as the ongoing Israeli genocide in Gaza nears its 11-month mark.
Hamas politburo member Osama Hamdan said on Wednesday that the Resistance group "informed the mediators that … any meeting should be based on talking about implementation mechanisms and setting deadlines rather than negotiating something new... otherwise, Hamas finds no reason to participate.”
The movement said earlier this week that it had already accepted in June the ceasefire proposal put forward by US President Joe Biden, whose national security advisor later revealed that it was in fact an Israeli proposal.
Israeli media reported earlier this week that Security Minister Yoav Gallant accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of sabotaging the ceasefire talks.
Read more: Netanyahu's add-ons hamper final deal with Hamas: NBC News
“The reason a hostage deal is stalling is in part because of Israel," Gallant said in a private briefing for a parliamentary committee on Monday.
“I and the defense establishment support the [ceasefire] option” to prevent a military escalation with Hezbollah, rather than talk of 'total victory’ and all that nonsense," the security minister said referring to Netanyahu's constantly repeated phrase.
Senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhriv told Reuters on Wednesday, "Going to new negotiations allows the occupation to impose new conditions and employ the maze of negotiation to conduct more massacres."
"Hamas is committed to the proposal presented to it on July 2, which is based on the U.N. Security Council resolution and the Biden speech and the movement is prepared to immediately begin discussion over a mechanism to implement it," Abu Zuhri added.
