On the 15th (local time), Palestinian residents flocked to a food distribution center in Jabalia, northern Gaza. /AP=Newsis
On the 17th (local time), after more than 300 casualties were reported over three days from extensive Israeli airstrikes on Gaza, the Palestinian militant group Hamas, which had previously rejected ceasefire talks, shifted its stance.
According to Reuters, Israel and Hamas commenced new negotiations for hostages’ release and ceasefire in Qatar, acting as a mediator. Taher Al-Nunu, a senior Hamas official, stated that the negotiations started without any preconditions from either side, and that discussions on all issues are open. He further explained that Hamas would express its positions on war cessation, prisoner exchange, Israeli troop withdrawal from Gaza, and the resumption of humanitarian aid.
According to the BBC and Israeli public broadcaster Kan, in the discussions, Hamas agreed to release 9-10 hostages. In exchange, Israel agreed to a 60-day ceasefire and the release of 200-250 Palestinian prisoners. The new proposal reportedly includes the entry of 400 aid trucks per day to Gaza and the evacuation of patients from the region.
This meeting occurred just hours after Israel launched the “Gideon’s Chariots” operation aiming to take full control of Gaza. Israeli Defense Minister Katz claimed that once the operation started, Hamas delegations reconsidered their stance and returned to the talks. Gideon is a biblical ancient Israeli leader known for defeating the Midianites with 300 soldiers.
Israeli’s aggressive attacks resulted in hundreds of deaths in Gaza. The Palestinian Ministry of Health reported that more than 300 people had died since the 15th. Hamas’s Gaza leader, Muhammad Sinwar, was confirmed dead following an Israeli attack on the 13th. According to Saudi Broadcast Al-Hadath, Sinwar was found dead with 10 associates in a tunnel in southern Khan Yunis in Gaza.
Amidst this, The Wall Street Journal reported evidence that Hamas launched an attack on Israel in October 2023 to prevent improved relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia. Minutes discovered in Gaza underground tunnels by Israeli forces revealed that Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar expressed concern in a meeting five days before the Gaza war about significant progress in normalization agreements between Saudi Arabia and Zionists (Israel). He warned this could lead other Arab countries to follow suit, marginalizing the Palestinian issue, and stated it was time to launch an attack planned for two years to strategically shift the regional balance.
On October 7, 2023, Hamas launched a large-scale ground assault on Israel without a declaration of war, resulting in the deaths of over 1,300 Israelis and taking 252 hostages. The ensuing Israeli retaliation led to more than 60,000 Palestinian deaths, with the war in Gaza persisting for over a year and a half.