Negotiations for a ceasefire in Gaza are progressing, but it is necessary to remain cautious, said the French Minister of Foreign Affairs, who will meet this Monday in Riyadh with the president of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas.
“Things are moving forward, but care must always be taken in these discussions and negotiations. The situation in Gaza is catastrophic and we need a ceasefire.”Frenchman Stephane Sejournesa told Reuters in the capital of Saudi Arabia, where he will meet other ministers from Arab and Western countries.
Also in Riyadh to reach a ceasefire is Antony Blinken. The head of North American diplomacy begins a two-day visit to Saudi Arabia this Monday to discuss ongoing efforts to reach a truce in the Gaza Strip that will simultaneously allow the release of Hamas hostages.
The efforts are also taking place in Cairo, where mediators from Egypt and Qatar will meet this Monday for a new round of negotiations with Hamas leaders.
On Sunday, Hamas authorities said that a delegation led by Khalil Al-Hayya, one of the group’s leaders in Gaza, would participate in these discussions. On the table will be a ceasefire agreement drawn up by Hamas itself in response to an Israeli proposal for a truce delivered on Saturday.
A source interviewed by the Reuters agency said that Israel’s deal includes the release of 40 Hamas hostages in exchange for the release of Palestinians held in Israeli prisons. It also includes a second phase of truce with a “period of sustained calm”, instead of the permanent ceasefire that Hamas has been demanding.
After the first phase, Tel Aviv undertakes to allow free movement between the south and north of Gaza, as well as a partial withdrawal of troops in the region.
Bombings in Rafah leave dozens of victims
Meanwhile, in the Palestinian city of Rafah, where more than a million people are taking refuge, Israeli bombings continue. At least 20 people died and several others were injured in an air strike against three houses in this area of the southern Gaza Strip, according to local health authorities.
In the city of Gaza, to the north, Israeli aircraft hit two other houses, killing at least four people.
A large-scale attack on Rafah, which Israel says is Hamas’ center of operations, has been anticipated for weeks. Governments of foreign nations and the United Nations have expressed concern about this threat, fearing a humanitarian disaster.
Israel promised to eradicate Hamas and, in the military operation it launched for this purpose, it has already killed more than 34,000 Palestinians – 66 of them in the last 24 hours, according to Gaza health authorities.
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