Hamas says Gaza truce potential in 24 to 48 hours if Israel accepts calls for | EUROtoday

A senior Hamas chief informed AFP this Sunday {that a} truce within the Gaza Strip is feasible “in 24 or 48 hours” if Israel accepts the calls for of the Palestinian Islamist motion.

“If Israel accepts Hamas' demands, which include return of displaced Palestinians to northern Gaza and the increase in humanitarian aid“This may pave the best way for an settlement within the subsequent 24 or 48 hours,” said the leader, who did not want to identify himself.

The delegation is headed by the leader of the political bureau of the Palestinian Islamist group, Ismail Haniyeh, arrived in Cairo this Sunday to resume negotiations on a truce with Israel in the Gaza Strip, Palestinian sources in the Egyptian capital informed Efe.

The sources, who requested anonymity, pointed out that the Hamas delegation “They will maintain talks with Egyptian officers in regards to the truce” without specifying details, so It is not clear whether the Palestinian group has relaxed its stance regarding their conditions for a new pause in the fighting.

Egyptian security sources assured on Saturday that the negotiations that representatives of Hamas and Israel held in Doha last week with the help of the United States, Qatar and Egypt, will be resumed today in the presence, initially, of all parties.

They also indicated that it has been achieved “exceptional progress” in talksand that Cairo, together with Qatar and the US, “is striving to attain a good settlement” before the month of Ramadanwhich is scheduled to begin between March 10 and 11, according to the lunar calendar.

The mediators, especially Egypt, have increased their pressure on Israel and Hamas to reach a truce, based on a draft agreement for the cessation of hostilities for six weeksbefore Ramadan in order to avoid a scald during the Muslim fasting month.

Hamas insists that a temporary truce be accompanied by an agreement for a cessation of hostilities in a second phasewhich Israel opposes, determined to continue its land offensive in Rafah, a town at the southern end of the Strip and on the border with Egypt where more than 1.4 million displaced people are crowded.

Since the war began, Israel and Hamas only reached a one-week ceasefire agreement in late November, which allowed the release of 105 hostages in exchange for 240 Palestinian prisoners.

“Terrorist targets”

The Israeli Army attacked harshly during the night and early Sunday morning “infrastructure and terrorist brokers” in the center of the Gaza Strip and in Khan Younis, a Hamas stronghold in the south of the enclave, where the aircraft destroyed “some 50 targets.” terrorists in six minutes,” experiences Efe.

“The operation of the 98th Division of the Israel Defense Forces began with a series of airstrikes against some 50 terrorist targets in six minutescarried out by the Air Force with the help of the artillery of the ground troops,” indicated a navy assertion.

The assaults, each within the middle and within the south, have been tougher and extra intense than in current daysin accordance with the Palestinian media.

In Khan Yunis, the operation sought to “intensify operational achievements in the area” and among the many targets attacked have been “underground infrastructure, military structures, anti-tank missile launch sites, rigged structures and operational meeting points for terrorists that represented a threat.” for the troops within the space.”

In the center of the enclave, the Israeli troops “eradicated greater than 30 terrorists” and they located numerous weapons.

“They recognized a terrorist cell carrying suspicious weapons and approached troops within the space. In response, an plane attacked and eradicated the terrorist cell.

In virtually 5 months of battle, greater than 30,200 Gazans have died, greater than 80% civilians, and 71,000 have been injured, along with 7,000 lacking underneath the rubble, in accordance with the Ministry of Health.

Israel claims that greater than 12,000 are militiamen, however Hams halves that determine.

The Israeli Army introduced on Saturday three extra casualties in its ranks, a complete of 245 because the floor operation started inside the enclave.