Israel to send delegation for indirect talks with Hamas

Jerusalem, July 6 (IANS) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has instructed a negotiating team to travel to Qatar on Sunday for talks with Hamas on a ceasefire-hostages deal, the Israeli Prime Minister's Office said in a statement.

After assessing the situation, Israel accepted the invitation for close talks and continued negotiations for the release of Israeli hostages held in Gaza based on the Qatari proposal that Israel agreed to, according to the statement.

The proposal reportedly includes a 60-day ceasefire, the release, in five stages, of 10 Israeli live hostages, and the handover of 18 hostage bodies, as well as the release of Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails.

Meanwhile, the statement said that Israel was informed on Saturday evening that Hamas demanded changes to the proposal, which are "unacceptable to Israel."

Israel's state-owned Kan TV News reported that the changes demanded by Hamas concern guarantees regarding a quick transition to negotiations to end the war, the inclusion of Türkiye among the guarantor countries of the agreement, and details related to the distribution of humanitarian aid and the withdrawal of Israeli military forces from the Gaza Strip.

On Friday, Hamas said in a statement that it has delivered a "positive" response to mediators over a Gaza ceasefire proposal, adding it is "seriously prepared to immediately enter into a round of negotiations on the mechanism for implementing this framework."

On Saturday, according to a source familiar with the matter, a Hamas member close to the movement's leadership, Hamas proposed minor changes to the existing draft, but did not deviate significantly from the core elements of the mediation framework, Xinhua news agency reported.

Regarding humanitarian assistance, the source said Hamas emphasized that "aid must be delivered in sufficient quantities to ensure the uninterrupted operation of bakeries, hospitals, and essential services."

"Hamas insists that humanitarian aid be brought in through neutral and internationally recognized organizations, including the United Nations, the Red Crescent, and other relevant agencies," the source added.

Regarding the withdrawal of Israeli forces, the source said that "Hamas does not oppose slight adjustments to the proposed withdrawal to the March 2 lines, provided the details are clarified through indirect negotiations."

--IANS

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