Reports: Gaza Ceasefire Talks on Verge of Collapse
Hamas officials say that ceasefire negotiations with Israel have reached an impasse after a week of talks, per multiple outlets.
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The BBC reported Friday that Hamas negotiators regarded the Israeli proposal for long-term occupation of significant portions of the Gaza Strip, including the entire city of Rafah and large portions of other population centers, as a nonstarter. On Monday, Israel’s Defense Minister Israel Katz announced planning for a “humanitarian city” that aims to sequester the entirety of the Strip’s population in Rafah, which critics say is a step towards the ethnic cleansing.
Hamas officials also objected to the proposed vehicle for humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip. While Hamas wants aid to be delivered by United Nations organs, Israel wants distribution through the Israeli- and American-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation.
Israeli operations in the Gaza Strip continued through the weekend. The Palestinian health ministry reported Sunday that 139 bodies were brought to hospitals in the preceding 24 hours.
