By Samia Nakhoul, Muhammad Al Gebaly and Nidal al-Mughrabi
DUBAI/CAIRO (Reuters) -Hamas has accepted a U.S. proposal to start talks on releasing Israeli hostages, together with troopers and males, 16 days after the primary section of an settlement geared toward ending the Gaza conflict, a senior Hamas supply instructed Reuters on Saturday.
The militant Islamist group has dropped a requirement that Israel first decide to a everlasting ceasefire earlier than signing the settlement, and would enable negotiations to realize that all through the six-week first section, the supply instructed Reuters on situation of anonymity as a result of the talks are personal.
A Palestinian official near the internationally mediated peace efforts had stated the proposal may result in a framework settlement if embraced by Israel and would finish the nine-month-old conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.
U.S. Central Intelligence Company Director William Burns will journey to Qatar subsequent week for negotiations, a supply accustomed to the matter stated.
A CIA spokesperson declined to verify Burns’ journey consistent with its coverage of not disclosing the spy chief’s travels.
The supply, who spoke on situation of anonymity, stated the discussions would give attention to resolving a Hamas demand that america, Israel, Qatar and Egypt assure in writing a short lived ceasefire, help deliveries and an Israeli troop withdrawal if oblique talks on implementing the second section of the plan continued.
A supply in Israel’s negotiating workforce, talking on situation of anonymity, stated on Friday there was now an actual probability of attaining settlement. That was in sharp distinction to previous situations, when Israel stated situations connected by Hamas have been unacceptable.
A spokesperson for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu didn’t instantly reply to a request for touch upon Saturday, the Jewish Sabbath. On Friday his workplace stated talks would proceed subsequent week and emphasised that gaps between the edges nonetheless remained.
A U.S. official declined to verify the Hamas determination, including, “There’s actual progress, however nonetheless quite a lot of work to do.”
RISING DEATH TOLL
The battle has claimed the lives of greater than 38,000 Palestinians, in accordance with Gaza well being officers, since Hamas attacked southern Israel on Oct. 7, killing 1,200 folks and taking some 250 hostages, in accordance with official Israeli figures.
The Hamas supply additionally stated the brand new proposal ensures mediators would assure a short lived ceasefire, help supply and the withdrawal of Israeli troops so long as oblique talks proceed.
Efforts to safe a ceasefire and hostage launch in Gaza have intensified with energetic shuttle diplomacy amongst Washington, Israel and Qatar, which is main mediation efforts from Doha, the place the exiled Hamas management is predicated.
A regional supply stated Washington was attempting laborious to safe a deal earlier than the U.S. presidential election in November.
Netanyahu stated on Friday that the top of Israel’s Mossad intelligence company had returned from an preliminary assembly with mediators in Qatar and negotiations would proceed subsequent week.
Some households of hostages on Saturday gave a press release to reporters forward of a weekly hostage rally in Tel Aviv, through which they referred to as on Netanyahu to undergo with the deal.
“For the primary time in lots of months, we really feel hope,” stated Einav Zangauker, the mom of Matan Zangauker, 24, who was kidnapped from his kibbutz house on Oct. 7. “This is a chance that can not be missed,” she stated.
FIGHTING RAGES
In the meantime, Israeli forces stepped up navy strikes throughout the enclave, killing at the very least 29 Palestinians up to now 24 hours, and wounding 100 others, the territory’s well being officers stated.
Amongst these killed in separate air strikes have been 5 native journalists, elevating the demise toll of journalists since Oct 7 to 158, in accordance with the Hamas-led Gaza authorities media workplace.
Israeli forces, which have deepened their incursions into Rafah, close to the border with Egypt, killed 4 Palestinian police and wounded eight others, in an air strike on their car on Saturday, well being officers stated.
A press release issued by the Hamas-run inside ministry stated the 4 included Fares Abdel-Al, the top of the police pressure in western Rafah neighbourhood of Tel Al-Sultan.
The Israeli navy stated forces continued “intelligence-base operations” in Rafah, destroyed a number of underground buildings, seized weapons and gear, and killed a number of Palestinian gunmen.
Israel stated its operations in Rafah aimed to eradicate the final Hamas armed wing battalions.
Within the central Al-Nuseirat camp, one of many enclave’s eight historic refugee camps, an Israeli air strike on a home killed 10 Palestinians, medics stated.
The Israeli navy stated it eradicated a Hamas rocket cell that operated from inside a humanitarian-designated space. It stated it carried out a exact strike after taking measures to make sure civilians have been unhurt. Hamas denies Israeli accusations it makes use of civilian properties for navy functions.
The armed wings of Hamas and the Islamic Jihad stated fighters attacked Israeli forces in a number of areas of the enclave by anti-tank rockets and mortar bombs.
(Reporting Samia Nakhoul and Muhammad Al Gebaly and Nidal al-Mughrabi; Extra reporting by Maayan Lubell and Emily Rose in Jerusalem, Jonathan Landay in Washington and Andrea Shalal in Wilmington, Del.; Writing by Samia Nakhul, Muhammad Al Gebaly, Nidal al-Mughrabi and Patricia Zengerle; Modifying by Raju Gopalakrishnan, William Mallard, Toby Chopra, Daniel Wallis and Alistair Bell)
