Israel-Palestine Escalation
Israel was hit by an unprecedented rocket attack from the Gaza Strip on October 7, with Hamas movement's troops infiltrating border areas. On October 8, the Israeli government announced that it had invoked Article 40 of the Basic Law, which means the country was officially in a state of war.

New Round of Talks on Hamas' Hostages to Be Held in Cairo on Tuesday

© AP Photo / Leo CorreaPeople sit in front of a gate at the Nitzana border crossing with Egypt in southern, Israel, Monday, Feb. 12, 2024
People sit in front of a gate at the Nitzana border crossing with Egypt in southern, Israel, Monday, Feb. 12, 2024 - Sputnik Africa, 1920, 13.02.2024
Subscribe
MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The latest round of talks on the release of hostages held by Palestinian movement Hamas with the participation of CIA Director William Burns will be held in Cairo on Tuesday.
Burns is expected to be joined by senior Egyptian and Qatari officials, as well as Israeli negotiators from the Mossad and Shin Bet security agencies. It will be the fifth round of talks for Burns, who was involved in brokering the first temporary ceasefire agreement last November.
The meeting comes in the aftermath of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's vehement dismissal of Hamas' latest counter-proposal, which included the release of 1,500 Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails, a permanent ceasefire and the withdrawal of troops from Gaza as "delusional." The participants are expected to discuss ways to persuade the Palestinian movement to ease its demands.
Injured in Israeli airstrikes on Rafah city - Sputnik Africa, 1920, 12.02.2024
Israel-Palestine Escalation
Photos: Aftermath of Israeli Airstrikes on the Gazan City of Rafah
On October 7, 2023, Palestinian movement Hamas launched a large-scale rocket attack against Israel from Gaza and breached the border, killing 1,200 people and abducting around 240 others. Israel launched retaliatory strikes, ordered a complete blockade of Gaza, and started a ground incursion into the Palestinian enclave with the declared goal of eliminating Hamas fighters and rescuing the hostages. Over 28,100 people have been killed so far in the Gaza Strip, local authorities said.
On November 24, Qatar mediated a deal between Israel and Hamas on a temporary truce and the exchange of some of the prisoners and hostages, as well as the delivery of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip. The ceasefire was extended several times and expired on December 1. More than 100 hostages are still believed to be held by Hamas in Gaza.
Newsfeed
0