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Reuters and the Wall Street Journal quoted an Israeli official as saying that Israel is open to negotiating a ceasefire and detainees held by the Palestinian resistance in Gaza stripBut as the fighting continued.
This official from Washington said that Israel is ready to give additional pauses and can negotiate while the fighting continues, according to Reuters.
He added that releasing the largest possible number of detainees is a “top priority” for Israel, and said, “We have learned lessons from our operations in northern Gaza and are applying them.”
The Israeli official also said – according to what the agency reported – that Israel is working on a plan to reduce the damage to civilians in any operation in southern Gaza, as he claimed.
Reuters quoted an American official, whom it described as a senior, that the United States is working with Israel “on a plan to reduce the harm to civilians in any operation south of Gaza.”
The statements of the Israeli and American officials come with the death of more than 240 Palestinians and the injury of hundreds within a few hours of Israel resuming its violent bombing of the Gaza Strip yesterday, Friday, with the end of the truce.
In this regard, Qatar – which played a pivotal role in the mediation efforts – said that negotiations are still ongoing with the Israelis and Palestinians to return to the truce, but the renewed Israeli bombing of Gaza complicates the mediation efforts.
Yesterday, the Israeli occupation dropped leaflets on the eastern areas of Khan Yunis ordering residents of 4 towns to evacuate, not to other areas of the city as happened before, but south to the city. Rafah.
Israel published a link to a map showing Gaza divided into hundreds of areas, and said it would be used in the future to determine safe areas.
Despite this, Israel is bombing Rafah and other areas in the south, where hundreds of thousands of Gazans are taking refuge due to the fighting in the north. Medics and witnesses said that the bombing was intense yesterday in Khan Yunis and Rafah.
Mutual accusations
For his part, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said at a press conference in California, “We will continue to work with Israel, Egypt and Qatar in efforts aimed at returning to calm,” blaming the Islamic Resistance Movement (agitation).
Israel and Hamas exchanged accusations of responsibility for the collapse of the truce, as Israel accused Hamas of refusing to release all the women detained by it, while a Palestinian official said that the collapse occurred after Israel requested that Hamas release the female soldiers.
The truce that began on November 24 has been extended twice, and Israel said it could continue if Hamas released 10 detainees every day, but the mediators were unable to find a formula to release more detainees, including Israeli soldiers.
Hamas accused Washington of giving Israel the green light to wage “war.” Genocide and ethnic cleansing.” She said in a statement, “Today you brazenly repeat the Zionist lies that…
Hamas holds responsible for resuming the war and not extending the humanitarian calm.”
Meanwhile, Senator Mark Warner, who chairs the Senate Intelligence Committee, told Reuters that Washington should put pressure on Israel, adding, “We must push Israel to realize that this is not only a military conflict, but rather a conflict for the hearts and minds of people in the world and people in the United States.” “.
