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Hamas stood by its demand on Tuesday that Israel fully end its assault on Gaza under any deal to release hostages, and said U.S. president-elect Donald Trump was rash to say “all hell will break out” unless they go free by his Jan. 20 inauguration.
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Officials from the Islamist group and Israel have been holding talks with Qatari and Egyptian mediators in the most intensive effort for months to reach a ceasefire in Gaza and secure the release of 100 hostages that remain captive in Gaza.
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The outgoing U.S. administration has called for a final push for a deal before Joe Biden leaves office, and many in the region now view Trump’s inauguration as an unofficial deadline.
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“If (the hostages are) not back by the time I get into office, all hell will break out in the Middle East,” Trump said Tuesday at a press conference at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida.
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“It will not be good for Hamas, and it will not be good, frankly, for anyone.”
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The outgoing U.S. administration has called for a final push for a deal before Joe Biden leaves office, and many in the region now view Trump’s inauguration as an unofficial deadline.
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But with the clock ticking, both sides accuse the other of blocking a deal by adhering to conditions that torpedoed all previous peace efforts for more than a year.
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Hamas says it will free its remaining hostages only if Israel agrees to end its military offensive and withdraw all its troops from Gaza. Israel says it will not end its assault until Hamas is dismantled and all hostages are free.
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“Hamas is the only obstacle to the release of the hostages,” the director general of Israel’s foreign ministry, Eden Bar Tal, told a briefing with reporters, saying Israel was fully committed to reaching a deal.
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Israel has sent a team of mid-ranking officials to Qatar for talks brokered by Qatari and Egyptian mediators. Some Arabic media reports said David Barnea, the head of Mossad, who has been leading negotiations, was expected to join them. The Israeli prime minister’s office did not comment.
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In one notable step towards a deal, a Hamas official told Reuters on Sunday the group had cleared a list submitted by Israel of 34 hostages who could be freed in the initial phase of a truce, alongside Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.
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The list included female Israeli soldiers, plus elderly, female and minor-aged civilians. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said Israel had so far received no confirmation about whether those on its list were still alive.
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Israel keeps up airstrikes in Gaza
Nearly 46,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s assault on Gaza, according to Hamas health officials in the enclave. The assault was launched after Hamas fighters stormed Israeli territory in October 2023, killing 1,200 people and capturing more than 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies.
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Israeli military strikes killed at least 24 Palestinians across the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, medics said, as the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory urged international donors to immediately provide fuel to run generators and maintain medical services.
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One of those strikes killed four people in a house in Gaza City and six were killed in separate strikes across the enclave, medics said.
Conclusion
The situation in Gaza remains dire, with both sides dug in and the clock ticking. The international community must continue to push for a peaceful resolution to this crisis.
FAQs
Q: What is the current situation in Gaza?
A: The situation in Gaza remains dire, with ongoing violence and instability.
Q: What are the demands of Hamas?
A: Hamas demands that Israel end its military offensive and withdraw all its troops from Gaza.
Q: What is the position of Israel?
A: Israel refuses to withdraw its troops from Gaza until Hamas is dismantled and all hostages are free.
Q: What is the role of the international community?
A: The international community must continue to push for a peaceful resolution to this crisis.
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