(Adnkronos) – Today, Thursday, August 15, 2024, is a crucial day in Doha, Qatar, in an attempt to establish a ceasefire in Gaza and on the ceasefire and release of hostages while the conflict does not stop. The Israeli armed forces have issued a new evacuation order for Palestinians in the Khan Younis area.
Hamas reiterated that it will not attend the talks with Israel, which are being mediated by the United States, Egypt and Qatar, but is willing to be briefed on the issues raised later.
Today’s talks are seen as a crucial moment in the effort to secure a ceasefire and facilitate a hostage exchange in the Gaza conflict. It is hoped that a breakthrough could also prevent a significant retaliatory strike by Iran against Israel and a substantial escalation of the war.
Hamas is losing faith in the US ability to mediate and will only attend the Doha talks if they focus on implementing Joe Biden’s proposal presented in May and supported by the international community. “We have informed the mediators,” Osama Hamdan, a member of Hamas’s political bureau, said in an interview with the AP that was reported by several media outlets, “that each meeting should be based on discussing the implementation of mechanisms and deadlines, rather than negotiating something new.” “Otherwise,” he warned, “Hamas sees no reason to participate.”
During a brief ceasefire, more than 100 hostages were freed, mostly women and elderly people. According to Israeli estimates, Hamas still holds 115 hostages, many of whom may no longer be alive. On the eve of the talks, Israel reportedly drew up a list of the names of the 33 living hostages it insists on releasing in the first phase of the deal.
Meanwhile, the Israeli security cabinet is scheduled to meet at 9 p.m. tonight at the Kirya military headquarters in Tel Aviv, Israeli media reported. The cabinet meeting is expected to take place at approximately the same time as the talks in Doha.
Meanwhile, the Israeli military has issued a new evacuation order for Palestinians in the Khan Younis area in the southern Gaza Strip, where the IDF is currently waging an offensive.
According to The Times of Israel, Colonel Avichay Adraee, the IDF’s Arabic-language spokesperson, has released a list of areas that must be evacuated. The announcement calls on Palestinians in the Khan Younis suburb of al-Qarara to evacuate to the humanitarian zone designated by Israel.
At least two Palestinians were killed in what the Israeli army called an anti-terrorist operation in Nablus on Wednesday night. During the operation, the IDF said, soldiers were targeted and responded by shooting. Al Jazeera previously reported that Israeli shelling left casualties in the Balata refugee camp in the central-northern West Bank, on the outskirts of Nablus.
An Israeli Air Force drone attacked armed Palestinian militants in the Balata refugee camp in the West Bank city of Nablus, the army’s radio station X reported, saying two terrorists were killed and four wounded. The Israeli military said it had exchanged fire with terrorists who shot and threw improvised explosive devices.
Over 40,000 Palestinian victims since October 7, the day of the Hamas attack on Israel. The precise figure, provided by the Gaza Health Ministry, is 40,005 victims.
