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Israel’s Morag Corridor in Gaza main obstacle in ceasefire talks: Reports
Israeli media report that disagreements over the military corridor built by Israel in southern Gaza to cut off Rafah from other parts of the enclave constitute the main sticking point at indirect ceasefire talks with Hamas taking place in Qatar.
Israel insists on maintaining “operational control” of the corridor during the 60-day ceasefire, with the aim of allowing it to proceed with the plan to concentrate Palestinians in camps built on the ruins of Rafah, according to Haaretz, Channel 12, and other Israeli media.
But Hamas demands that invading Israeli soldiers leave the area during the truce. Egypt and Qatar have strongly opposed the plan to concentrate Palestinians or relocate them out of Gaza.
US special envoy Steve Witkoff, who earlier said that an agreement could come by the end of the week, is expected to travel to Doha soon to join the talks.
‘Gaza will not surrender,’ says defiant Hamas amid ceasefire talks
The armed Palestinian group has released a short statement in reaction to Benjamin Netanyahu’s remark that he will release all those held in Gaza and force Hamas to surrender.
Hamas said such statements reflect “psychological defeat” as they do not match realities on the ground. It added Israeli army leaders have admitted they have not managed to retrieve Israeli captives through military action.
“Gaza will not surrender,” Hamas said. “It has become clear that there is no way to secure the release [of the captives] except through a serious deal with the resistance.”
Palestinian minister urges EU to take ‘urgent’ action to stop Israel
The European Union must take immediate and stricter measures to halt Israel’s war of “genocide, displacement, and starvation” in the occupied Palestinian territory, says the minister of state for foreign affairs.
Varsen Aghabekian’s remarks came during a meeting in Ramallah with the new European special representative for the Middle East peace process, Christophe Bijou.
Aghabekian briefed Bijou on the humanitarian and political crisis unfolding in Gaza and the occupied West Bank during Israeli attacks. She stressed that European policy must now be “translated into actions and steps that promote just peace by embodying the independent Palestinian state”.
