CAIRO/JERUSALEM. Negotiations aimed at securing a ceasefire in Gaza and addressing the hostage situation resumed in Cairo on Saturday, with mediators presenting new compromise proposals to bridge the gap between Israel and Hamas. The renewed discussions come as the United Nations reports worsening humanitarian conditions in Gaza, with rising malnutrition and the recent discovery of polio.
The conflict’s toll continues to grow, with Palestinian health authorities reporting that Israeli military strikes in Gaza claimed 50 lives on Saturday alone. Many victims of the ongoing hostilities remain trapped under rubble or lying on roads in areas where fighting persists.
A Hamas delegation arrived in Cairo on Saturday to be on hand to review any proposals that emerge from the main talks involving Israel and the mediating countries—Egypt, Qatar, and the United States—according to two Egyptian security sources. Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani was also expected to participate in the negotiations.
The ceasefire talks have been marked by months of on-again, off-again negotiations, which have so far failed to bring an end to Israel’s devastating military campaign in Gaza or to secure the release of the remaining hostages taken by Hamas during their attack on October 7, which ignited the current conflict.
Egyptian sources indicated that the latest proposals include compromises on critical issues such as securing key areas and the return of displaced people to northern Gaza. However, no breakthrough has been achieved on several sticking points, most notably Israel’s demand to retain control of the Philadelphi Corridor, a strategic border area between Gaza and Egypt.
Tensions in the negotiations have been exacerbated by accusations from Hamas that Israel has reneged on previously agreed-upon terms, a charge that Israel denies. Hamas has also criticized the United States, accusing it of not mediating in good faith.
In Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has clashed with Israeli ceasefire negotiators over whether Israeli troops should remain stationed along the entire border between Gaza and Egypt, according to a source familiar with the talks.
A Palestinian official involved in the mediation efforts expressed caution, stating that it was too early to predict the outcome of the talks. “Hamas is there to discuss the outcome of the mediators’ talks with the Israeli officials and whether there is enough to suggest a change in the Netanyahu stance about reaching a deal,” the official noted.
As negotiations continue, the humanitarian situation in Gaza remains dire, with the international community increasingly alarmed by the escalating crisis.
Si Venus L Peñaflor ay naging editor-in-chief ng Newsworld, isang lokal na pahayagan ng Laguna. Publisher din siya ng Daystar Gazette at Tutubi News Magazine. Siya ay isa ring pintor at doll face designer ng Ninay Dolls, ang unang Manikang Pilipino. Kasali siya sa DesignCrowd sa rank na #305 sa 640,000 graphic designers sa buong daigdig. Kasama din siya sa unang Local TV Broadcast sa Laguna na Beyond Manila. Aktibong kasapi siya ng San Pablo Jaycees Senate bilang isang JCI Senator.
