Gaza truce talks 'ongoing' despite renewed Israeli aggression: Source
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Shortly after the expiration of the truce, "Israel" renews its aggression on Gaza, bombing the Strip indiscriminately.
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Palestinians inspect the destruction following an Israeli strike in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip on December 1, 2023. (SAID KHATIB/AFP)
Negotiations between "Israel" and Palestinian Resistance movement Hamas on the truce in the Gaza Strip continue through the mediation of Qatar and Egypt, AFP reported on Friday, citing a source.
Earlier, the Israeli occupation military claimed that Hamas broke the humanitarian pause. The Wall Street Journal reported late Thursday that the two sides had agreed to extend a temporary humanitarian pause for an eighth day. However, no official confirmation has been made yet. The latest truce expired on Friday at 07:00 am local time (05:00 GMT).
Shortly after, "Israel" renewed its aggression across Gaza, bombing the Strip indiscriminately. The spokesperson for the Ministry of Health in Gaza confirmed that 14 people were martyred in Israeli occupation massacres after the first two hours of the end of the truce.
The Qatari Foreign Ministry also announced on Friday that negotiations between the Israeli occupation and the Palestinian Resistance to return to a truce continue despite the resumed Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip.
"The State of Qatar expresses its deep regret at the resumption of the Israeli aggression against the Gaza Strip following the end of the humanitarian pause, without reaching an agreement to extend it. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirms that negotiations between the two sides are continuing with the aim of returning to a pause," the ministry said in a statement posted on X.
Statement |Qatar expresses its deep regret at the resumption of the Israeli aggression against Gaza following the end of the humanitarian pause #MOFAQatar pic.twitter.com/4C2ckADDtO
— Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Qatar (@MofaQatar_EN) December 1, 2023
Qatar will continue efforts to reach the humanitarian truce and "will not hesitate to do everything necessary to return to calm," the statement read.
"The Ministry stresses that the continued bombing of the Gaza Strip in the first hours after the end of the pause complicates mediation efforts and exacerbates the humanitarian catastrophe in the Strip, and in this context calls on the international community to move quickly to stop the violence."
Elsewhere, the Qatari Foreign Ministry called for an immediate ceasefire and ensuring the continuous and unhindered flow of relief convoys and humanitarian aid.
Israeli media: War may end without a big deal or undermining Hamas
Israeli media confirmed today, Friday, that despite the “joy over the return of captives,” the ceasefire “caused damage to the military battle after the aggression on Gaza lost its “momentum”.
The military correspondent for the Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth, Yossi Yehoshua, said in a post on X, “Israel has not operated in Khan Younis,” noting that “undermining the Hamas movement has been jeopardized.”
He pointed out that the Americans and Egyptians in Rafah are demanding “restricting military actions” in the southern Gaza Strip, stressing that the war may end “without a big deal [for Israel] reached and without undermining Hamas.”
On his part, the head of the newspaper’s Arab affairs department, Elior Levy, brought attention in a post on X to the fact that the occupation army “did not talk about resuming ground maneuvers and is only carrying out air strikes,” indicating that this aims to “exert violent pressure on Hamas to hand over the list of the captives to be released in exchange for a new ceasefire,” noting, at the same time, that “it is easy to stop attacks from the air.”
Levy admitted that "it is not certain that this plan will succeed," stressing, however, that it is "worth a try."]
In the same context, Alon Avitar, an analyst for Arab affairs at Yedioth Ahronoth, stated that “the range of the rockets fired by Hamas is limited,” noting that “this is deliberate, considering it a form of pressure on Israel to resume the ceasefire.”
Avitar added that Hamas "will expand its rocket range if it hits a dead end."
The ceasefire had been in effect since November 24, initially scheduled for a duration of four days, which was subsequently extended twice—first for two days and then for a single day. However, it was not extended for a third time.
Over the past seven days, there have been seven rounds of indirect prisoner exchanges between the Resistance in Gaza and the Israeli entity, in accordance with the truce terms. The terms stipulated the release of three Palestinian prisoners from Israeli prisons in exchange for one Israeli captive handed over by the Resistance.
Israeli media outlets cited political sources as saying that the Israeli military had returned to the state of war, referring to the renewal of the war on Gaza. The media mentioned that settlers in the Gaza Envelope were instructed to stay near fortified locations, while settlers in "Ashkelon," "Ashdod," and the "Gush Dan" area were reminded of safety directives amid reports about sirens sounding every now and then in the Gaza Envelope settlements.
US greenlights the Israeli crimes
On its part, the Government Media Office in Gaza emphasized that the international community, led by the United States, represented by the President and his Secretary of State, bears responsibility for the occupation's crimes in the Strip, after granting it the green light to continue the war without any regard for the laws of war, international laws, and humanitarian principles.
The office further added that it is the right of the Palestinian people to defend themselves by all means and to achieve their freedom and independence.
Al Mayadeen's correspondent reported fierce confrontations between Resistance fighters and Israeli occupation forces on several fronts in Gaza.
Martyr Omar al-Qassem Forces confirmed that its Resistance fighters targeted the invading Israeli occupation forces in al-Shalehat area west of Gaza City with mortar shells.
Local sources reported fierce confrontations between Resistance fighters and Israeli occupation forces in al-Tawam area northwest of Gaza, coinciding with reports of sirens sounding in the Gaza envelope settlements.
Al Mayadeen's correspondent also reported about violent confrontations in Beit Hanoun, north of the Strip, as well as in Tal al-Hawa, southwest of Gaza City.
Palestinian Resistance fighters confronted advancing Israeli occupation tanks northwest of Gaza in the Sheikh Radwan area, coinciding with confrontations in al-Mughraqa and northern Gaza simultaneous with Israeli shelling targeting the northwest of the Strip.
Our correspondent mentioned that Resistance fighters targeted Israeli forces stationed at a checkpoint near the "Netzarim" settlement.
