Israel Reports That Gaza Talks Mediators Are Working To Secure A Truce

(CTN News) – A ceasefire deal is being sought between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, Israel’s intelligence agency Mossad reported on Saturday, despite dimming hopes for a truce during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

On Friday, Mossad chief David Barnea met with US counterpart William Burns to promote a deal that would see hostages released.
“Contacts and cooperation with mediators continue all the time in an effort to narrow the gaps and reach agreements,” Mossad stated.

During the run-up to Ramadan, which begins around March 10, Israel and Hamas, the militant Islamist group that rules the Palestinian enclave, have exchanged blame for the apparent deadlock in talks.

The Hamas delegation is “unlikely” to return to Cairo for talks over the weekend, a Hamas source told Reuters.
A truce negotiation has been mediated by Egypt, the United States, and Qatar since January.

During the last truce, more than 100 hostages were released by Hamas, and approximately three times as many Palestinian prisoners were freed by Israel.

As a result of the impasse in negotiations over a longer ceasefire and the release of 134 hostages who are believed to be still held in Gaza, Hamas has been accusing Israel of refusing to provide guarantees that the war will end or pull its forces out of Gaza.

During Ramadan, Mossad stated that Hamas was digging in its heels and aiming for violence to spiral in the region. Officials in Israel have stated that the war will only be resolved by defeating Hamas, whose demands Netanyahu has called “delusional.”
According to Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh, the Palestinians are committed to fighting Israel “until freedom and independence are regained.”

Health authorities in Gaza report that nearly 31,000 Palestinians have died as a result of Israel’s air and ground assault on Gaza, and that thousands more bodies are suspected to be buried under rubble.

According to Israeli estimates, 1,200 people were killed and 253 taken hostage during the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas on southern Israel.

It is estimated that thousands of Israelis attended two weekly rallies in Tel Aviv. Police dragged some demonstrators away after they blocked a highway during an anti-government protest. On the other hand, families of hostages called for their loved ones’ release.

During the hostage rally in November, Agam Goldstein, a teenage girl freed from Gaza with her mother and two brothers, stated, “The pain and anger are still running through my blood.”. However, I must put them aside and turn to Hamas for their release.

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