Ceasefire talks resume as death toll tops 40,000
- Gaza’s Health Ministry says more than 40,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks since October 7, with many more buried under rubble and threatened by illness.
- The US and Israel sent delegations to Qatar for ceasefire talks that resumed today while Hamas has told mediators it is willing to meet after the discussions to determine if there is a serious response from Israel to truce proposals.
Ceasefire in Gaza could quickly deescalate regional tensions
Former Israeli Justice Minister Yossi Beilin says a ceasefire in Gaza could quickly lead to a “quiet situation” in the region, as talks on a truce resumed in Doha on Thursday.
“I hear what the parties are saying. I mean, it is very clear the Iranians saying if you have a deal, we will not retaliate. And it is very clear that Hezbollah in the north is saying that if you have a deal, we are stopping our war with you,” he told Al Jazeera, speaking from Tel Aviv.
US and Israel delegations are in Qatar for ceasefire talks that resumed on Thursday, and Hamas has told mediators it is willing to talk if there is a serious response to truce proposals from Israel.
However, Beilin said that achieving a ceasefire will not be the “end of the story”.
“The end of the story is a peace deal between Israel and the Palestinian Liberation Organization, or the Palestinian Authority, conducive to the two state solution,” he added.
Israeli society still supports Netanyahu and his war on Palestinians
A new poll shows Israelis would still re-elect Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, suggesting much of Israeli society still supports his policies against Palestinians whether under occupation in the West Bank or unrelenting war in Gaza.
‘Blood is on our hands,’ US peace group says as Gaza marks 40,000 deaths
The US-based peace organisation Fellowship of Reconciliation has criticised the Biden administration for paying “lip service” to ceasefire talks days after approving an additional $20bn in weapons sales to Israel as Gaza’s Health Ministry says more than 40,000 Palestinians have been killed in the besieged Palestinian territory.
“The blood is on all our hands around the world, but especially on ours here in the US, where we are supplying the tools of destruction and death,” Executive Director Ariel Gold told Al Jazeera from New Jersey.
“As much as this is Israel’s war and tragedy, this is America’s war and tragedy,” she added.
Gold expressed hope that a new US administration led by Vice President Kamala Harris after November’s election would break from Biden’s policy of unconditional support for Israel.
“We are seeing very large shifts in public opinion towards Palestinian rights. The question is whether those shifts are large enough and will come soon enough to save lives,” she said.
