Israel and Hamas “making progress” on 30-day truce deal
Despite Israel’s encircling of the southern Gazan city of Khan Younis, it is believed that there is progress being made in achieving a 30-day ceasefire between Hamas and the country, according to BBC News, January 23.
It is believed that such a truce deal would allow a significant number of Palestinian prisoners and Israeli hostages to return to their respective homes as well as allowing much needed aid into Gaza.
IDF troops have been advancing deeper in remaining parts of the city where it is believed that key Hamas officials are hiding in tunnels.
The fighting on January 23 also took place around Khan Younis’ two main hospitals and around 200 people have been in the Gaza Strip more generally over the past 24 hours.
Recently, there have been reports of hostages taken by the Gaza-controlling militant group on October 7 being killed in Israeli strikes on the besieged enclave.
With regards to negotiations with Hamas, a dismissive Netanyahu said that he“outright rejects the Hamas monsters’ terms of surrender. In exchange for the release of our hostages, Hamas demands the end of the war, the withdrawal of our forces from Gaza, the release of all the Nukhba (terrorist commando) murderers and rapists and leaving Hamas intact.”
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He has also threatened the group on numerous occasions, notably stating in October that every member of Hamas is a “dead man”, and has called for a total annihilation of Gaza.
Israeli government spokesperson Eylon Levy said that there would be no ceasefire that would leave Hamas in charge as well as hostages in the territory.
Washington is chasing a new hostage deal, which would include an aforementioned 30-day pause in the fighting, emphasised by them dispatching their Middle East envoy Brett McGurk who is expected to tour the region to ease tensions.
On January 23 the diplomat was in Cairo to meet Egyptian Intelligence Minister Abbas Kamel it was revealed.
Whilst the US has called on its biggest Middle Eastern ally to limit civilian deaths, unlike the international community it does not back a permanent ceasefire, arguing it would result in Hamas running amok.
The US State Department and White House, Qatar’s foreign ministry and Egypt’s State Information Service did not immediately respond to requests for comment on what a new ceasefire deal would look like following a 7-day long cessation of hostilities at the end of November.
BBC News/ Reuters
