Hamas has stated that any restart of ceasefire talks for Gaza should rely on previous agreements rather than new negotiations. Last week, international mediators from Qatar, Egypt, and the US urged Israel and Hamas to attend talks on August 15 regarding a ceasefire and hostage release.
Israel agreed to send negotiators to the meeting, though discussions stalled last month when new terms diverged from the framework proposed by President Biden in May.
Read more: Israel Attacks Gaza Schools, Alleging Hamas Uses Them for Planning Strikes
UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz have jointly called for the resumption of talks, emphasizing that further delay is unacceptable.
They are working with all parties to prevent escalation and seek stability in the Middle East, which has seen increased tensions following the assassination of Hamas and Hezbollah members.
US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin announced the deployment of a guided missile submarine to the Middle East, joining the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier.
Iran has threatened to respond to the killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, attributing responsibility to the US for supporting Israel.
In response to pressure from mediators, Hamas has called for ceasefire talks to be based on President Biden’s “vision” from May, agreeing to resume negotiations from where they left off instead of starting new talks. They criticized the idea of introducing new proposals, which they believe would allow Israel to continue its actions against Palestinians.
Sources revealed that disagreements arose over new Israeli conditions, such as screening displaced Palestinians and control of the Philadelphi corridor. Hamas is reportedly willing to resume talks before these new conditions were introduced.
On Sunday, the Israeli military ordered thousands of Palestinians in Khan Younis to move to designated “humanitarian zones” following an Israeli airstrike on a Gaza school, which reportedly killed over 70 people. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) claim the school was used by Hamas and Islamic Jihad, a charge Hamas denies.
The IDF also suggested that a key Islamic Jihad commander might have been present during the strike, though it’s unclear if he was killed. Israel asserts it targets civilian infrastructure due to its alleged use by Hamas, while Hamas denies these accusations.
The recent conflict, which began with a Hamas-led attack on Israel on October 7, has resulted in over 39,790 Palestinian deaths, according to Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry.
