Officials hopeful Israel and Hamas are close to ceasefire
NEGOTIATORS believe Israel and Hamas are close to a temporary ceasefire deal.
It would involve swapping hundreds of Palestinian prisoners for hostages taken by Hamas.
The US thinks Israel could agree to a six-week halt in fighting, hundreds of aid trucks being allowed to enter Gaza every day and civilians being free to return to the north.
Hopes for a ceasefire as early as Monday have been dampened by Hamas saying such claims are “premature” as talks with US and Qatari negotiators continue.
It comes as Gaza’s Health Ministry said 96 more Palestinians were killed in the previous 24 hours, making the official death toll as high as 30,000.
Under the latest deal being discussed, about 400 Palestinians would be freed from Israeli jails and 40 hostages taken by Hamas would be released from Gaza.
With hospitals in Gaza wrecked or at breaking point and amid fears many people are starving, up to
500 trucks per day would be let into the territory with food, water, fuel and medical supplies.
The price of water has soared 200%. Eggs are up 560%, meaning a box costs as much as €25.
It is said the bare minimum of food per day for a typical family now costs about €70.
Akram Aggour, who lives with seven friends in a tent in
Rafah in southern
Gaza, said: “We’re displaced from the north. We have no necessities. There’s a huge water crisis here and no supplies.
“These places weren’t ready to receive this number of refugees.”
Dr Mohammed al-sheikh, from Gaza’s Al-shifa hospital, said: “We take only three to four hours’ rest. The rest of the time we work...
“Since the beginning of the war in October I have only left the hospital twice.”
He said the casualties are mostly women, children and the elderly. Even as the deal was being discussed, Israel launched huge air strikes over its northern border on Hezbollah targets in Lebanon, and three Palestinians were shot dead in the West Bank.
US President Joe Biden said the agreement would probably embrace the Islamic month of Ramadan, which begins on March 10.
He said: “They have made a commitment to me they’re going to see to it that there’s an ability to evacuate significant portions of Rafah before they go and take out the remainder of Hamas.”
Israeli officials said they want a deal immediately but that Hamas is pushing for excessive demands.
About 130 hostages remain in Gaza, but Israel says a quarter of them are dead. A Hamas official said it is not interested in giving up any of its demands.