Efforts to broker a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas are back on track, with negotiations set to restart in Cairo on Sunday. Both sides are hoping to put an end to nearly six months of fighting in the Gaza Strip. Israel will be sending a team to Cairo for the talks, while Hamas is waiting to hear from mediators before making their move.
The talks, facilitated by Qatar and Egypt, are centered on a proposed six-week pause in Israel’s attacks, with the condition that Hamas releases some of the hostages they’re holding in Gaza. But there’s a big disagreement: Hamas wants Israel to pull out its troops and stop the fighting altogether, while Israel insists it will keep going after Hamas’s leaders and military power.
Hamas also wants Palestinians who fled their homes during the conflict to be allowed back. But Israel is only considering letting some of them return, according to one official.
The toll of the conflict has been devastating, with over 32,000 Palestinians killed since October. It all started when Hamas fighters crossed the border and attacked communities in southern Israel, resulting in deaths and hostage-taking.
Despite the ceasefire talks, Israel kept up its airstrikes and ground attacks in Gaza, causing more casualties. The situation got especially tense around Gaza City’s main hospital, where patients were trapped without basic necessities like water and electricity. Both Hamas and Islamic Jihad fighters clashed with Israeli forces near the hospital.
The hospital, once a lifeline for many in Gaza, has been severely affected by the fighting, worsening the already dire humanitarian crisis in the region.
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