"Not corpses again"
Israel demands release of 33 live hostages
During the talks in Doha on a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, Israel is demanding the release of 33 live hostages held by Hamas.
The situation in the Gaza Strip is extremely bleak. According to the local health authority, over 40,000 people have died there since the start of the Israeli military offensive at the beginning of October. In the past 24 hours alone, 40 people have been killed and 107 injured.
Meanwhile, efforts are being made to end the bloodshed. Israeli representatives have named a list of names as a condition for an agreement, the Israeli newspaper "Jediot Achronot" reported, citing officials. They did not want to find themselves in a situation "in which Hamas mainly hands over corpses".
According to media reports, the 33 hostages are humanitarian cases, including women and children as well as elderly and sick people. Female soldiers are also among them. According to an Israeli count, Hamas is still holding 115 hostages, 41 of whom Israel has declared dead. In addition, other hostages whose fate is unknown are probably no longer alive. Just over three months ago, the New York Times reported that the Islamist terrorist organization Hamas had informed negotiators that 33 hostages who could be released as a first step included dead hostages.
US President submits proposal
In May, US President Joe Biden presented a proposal to end the Gaza war in three phases. It initially provides for a complete and unrestricted ceasefire of six weeks. During this period, a certain group of hostages would be released. In return, Palestinians imprisoned in Israel would be released. After that, the fighting would cease permanently and the remaining hostages would be released. In a final phase, the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip is to begin. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected accusations that he had imposed new conditions after the plan was presented.
Philadelphi corridor causes discord
Israel's Chief of General Staff explained before the talks in Doha that the army can continue to control the border between the Gaza Strip and Egypt even without a permanent physical presence. During a visit to the so-called Philadelphi Corridor, Herzi Halevi said, according to Israeli radio, that the military could also continue to make selective advances there if a decision was made to withdraw from the border line.
The Philadelphi Corridor is a narrow 14-kilometer strip that runs along the border with Egypt near Rafah on the Gaza side. Israel controlled the strategically important zone until its withdrawal from the Gaza Strip in 2005 and then recaptured it during the Gaza war in May. The corridor is important in view of Israel's concern about a military rebuilding of the Islamist terrorist organization Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Hamas is calling for Israel to withdraw completely. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, on the other hand, has said that Israel's army must continue to control the Philadelphi Corridor even after a ceasefire. Israel assumes that Hamas has smuggled weapons into the Gaza Strip from Egypt. Egypt denies this.
Decisive talks - but expectations are low
According to its own statements, the Islamist Hamas will not negotiate any new conditions for a ceasefire or the release of hostages. The new Gaza talks in Qatar should only be about the implementation of the peace plan already presented by US President Joe Biden, but not about its details, dpa was told by circles within the group. They would "no longer accept any tactics" and had made this clear to the mediators. The mediators would only be informed about the talks in Doha if there were "serious intentions" on the part of Israel.
The important round of negotiations in Qatar on a possible ceasefire in the Gaza war was due to begin on Thursday. Depending on the course of the negotiations, it is possible that the talks will continue on Friday, according to people familiar with the matter. As in previous rounds, CIA chief William Burns, Qatar's Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani and Egypt's intelligence chief Abbas Kamel were expected to attend the negotiations. The head of the Mossad foreign intelligence service, David Barnea, is to attend on behalf of Israel. As Israel and Hamas are not negotiating directly with each other, Qatar, Egypt and the USA are acting as mediators.
The talks are seen as a decisive moment in the attempt to achieve a ceasefire and an exchange of hostages for prisoners in the Gaza war. A breakthrough could also prevent a major retaliatory strike by Iran and Hezbollah in Lebanon against Israel and thus an expansion of the war. However, expectations are low because negotiations have been at a standstill for months.
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