CIA Director William Burns is scheduled to visit Israel on Monday to continue ceasefire negotiations between Israel and Hamas, the Associated Press reported, as Israeli leaders play down the possibility of a deal that would end the conflict.
Burns has repeatedly traveled to the Middle East to assist in negotiations between the two countries, working towards an agreement to release the remaining hostages held by Hamas. He took part in Saturday's negotiations in Cairo, which Hamas described as “thorough and serious discussions.”
No Israeli representatives attended Saturday's meeting, and Defense Minister Yoav Galant said an attack by Israeli forces on the Gaza city of Rafah was “in the very near future.” The Biden administration has repeatedly urged the Israeli government not to invade Rafah without proper planning to avoid civilian casualties.
Previous progress in negotiations has stalled in recent days after Hamas attacked Israeli border crossings and Israel announced it would close the Qatari-run Al Jazeera office in Gaza. Qatar has been acting as an intermediary between Israel and Hamas during months of negotiations.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also downplayed the possibility of a deal, calling Hamas' demands “extreme” and vowing to continue the war against the extremist group.
The resistance to the deal comes as the United Nations warns that starvation has begun among the Gaza Strip's more than 2 million residents. United Nations leaders have repeatedly warned that the amount of humanitarian aid Israel has allowed into the Gaza Strip is far from sufficient to sustain the population.
Gaza's vast humanitarian needs are putting pressure on the pursuit of a ceasefire. The proposal submitted by Egyptian mediators to Hamas sets out a three-step process that would result in an immediate six-week cease-fire and the partial release of Israeli hostages captured on October 7, including some kind of withdrawal on the part of Israel. It will be done. The initial stage lasts 40 days. According to the Associated Press, Hamas will start by releasing female civilian hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.
An Israeli attack on a house in an urban refugee camp near Rafah on Sunday killed four children and two adults, including an infant, from the same family, Abu Yousef Al-Najjar Hospital said.
At least five people were killed in a separate Israeli attack on the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza, according to Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, which received the bodies. The Israeli military said it had attacked Hamas' headquarters in central Gaza. There was no mention of casualties.
In an impassioned speech marking Israel's annual Holocaust Remembrance Day, Prime Minister Netanyahu said: “I say to world leaders, no matter how much pressure you put on them, no decision in any international forum You can't stop defending,” he added.
The Associated Press contributed.
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