Israeli delegation expected in Qatar for more Gaza talks
An Israeli delegation is soon expected in Qatar to continue talks on securing a pause in the war on Gaza that could see captives released.
The talks began last week in Paris and were attended by the chiefs of Israel’s spy agency Mossad and domestic security service Shin Bet, along with mediators from the United States, Qatar and Egypt.
The Israeli delegation returned from the French capital, with Israeli national security adviser, Tzachi Hanegbi, saying during a televised interview late on Saturday that “there is probably room to move towards an agreement”.
According to Israeli media, negotiators had a meeting with the Israeli cabinet, which agreed to send a delegation to Qatar in the coming days to continue negotiations.
Al Jazeera’s Willem Marx, reporting from occupied East Jerusalem, said Israeli media are talking about the details of a framework for talks, which could potentially see a pause in fighting for up to six weeks if a captive is released each day from Gaza.
“It looks like there will be around 40 Israeli hostages being released – that would be women civilians, female soldiers, older men with serious medical conditions – in return for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners currently held in detention or Israeli jails.”
Marx said an agreement could also lead to a considerable increase in humanitarian aid going into the Gaza Strip and a potential return of Palestinians to the heavily bombarded and attacked areas in the northern part of the enclave.Prior to the latest round of talks, Hamas had said it would accept nothing less than a complete cessation of fighting and an end to the siege of Gaza, something Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had dismissed while emphasising “total victory” over the armed group.
Close to 30,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have been confirmed killed by the Ministry of Health in Gaza, with thousands more missing and presumably still under the rubble.
More than 100 captives, including Israelis and other nationals, were released as part of a one-week pause in fighting in November, which also saw hundreds of Palestinians released from Israeli prisons.
‘We need a new government’
In Israel, pressure has been steadily building on Netanyahu and his war cabinet to strike a deal to secure the release of the captives.
Thousands of protesters once more gathered at what has become known as “hostages square” in Tel Aviv on Saturday to demand swifter action and new elections, with police using water cannon to disperse the crowds.
Al Jazeera’s Hamdah Salhut, reporting from Tel Aviv, said Saturday’s gathering was the “biggest show of force since the war began”.
“Antigovernment protesters say they will continue coming out every Saturday in full force until their message is received by the Israeli government.”
Neria Bar, a protester, told Al Jazeera that the government has failed and needs to be replaced.
“We need a new government, new people, new leadership, someone that counts us in and thinks about us, not just about themselves,” she said.
