Gaza War: Hamas truce offer is ‘very far’ from Israeli demands, says Netanyahu

A ceasefire deal in the intensifying war between Israel and Hamas in theGaza Strip hangs on a loose thread, with a fresh round of negotiations taking place in the Egyptiancapital city of Cairo on Tuesday (May 7) afterceasefire talks inDohafailedto produce an agreement.

Cairo is hosting delegates from Qatar, the United States, and the Palestinian militant group, Hamas to try and reach a comprehensive truce in Gaza, reported Egypt's state-affiliated Al-Qahera News TV, citing a high-ranking source.

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Qatar had previouslysaid that it would send a delegation to Cairo to resume negotiations and hopethat "talks will culminate in reaching an agreement for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.

The statement comes hours after Hamas said it informedmediators Egypt and Qatar of its "approval of their proposal regarding a ceasefire" in the war, which has been going on for seven months.

Also Read |Humanitarian aid flow impacted as Israeli forces take control of Gaza side of Rafah crossing

A team ofmid-ranking Israeli officials arrives in Cairo to seewhether Hamas can be persuaded to shift on its latest ceasefire offer.

This comes after the Israeli government said that the proposal was far from Israel's "essential demands", but the government would send negotiators for talks "to exhaust the potential for arriving at an agreement."

Meanwhile, Israel has seemingly intensified operations after United Nations agencies, on Tuesday reportedthat the two main crossings into the southern Gaza Strip are closed, which hasvirtually cut off any outside aid from entering the enclave.

"The two main arteries for getting aid into Gaza are currently choked off," said a UN official referring to theRafah and Kerem Shalom crossings, which Israel has closedfor aid and people. He added, that theenclave has just a one-day buffer of fuel stocks.

"If no fuel comes in for a prolonged period of time it would be a very effective way of putting the humanitarian operation in its grave," said UN agencyhumanitarian office spokesperson Jens Laerke.

Here's a look at the latest updates on the Gazawar,and the upcoming truce talks:

1)A seniorHamas official told AFPthat a delegation from the Palestinian groupwas due toleave for truce talks in Cairo and warned: "This will be the last chance for (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu and the families of the Zionist prisoners to return their children".

2) Netanyahu, in his speech on Tuesday evening, said the Rafah operation ismeant to bring back the hostages and to eliminate Hamas and the latestceasefire deal was "meant to sabotage the entry of our forces into Rafah."

3) The Israeli PMalso said that Hamas' latest offer is "very far from Israel’s vital demands" and "cannotaccept a proposal that endangers the safety of our citizens and the future of our country." He hasinstructed the Israeli negotiating team currently in Cairo to "stand firmly".

4)On Tuesday, the Israeli military said thatit had captured the Gazan side of the Rafah crossing. Addressing a press conference, an Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesperson said, "We have operational control of the area and the crossing."

5)Israeli government callson international organisations to evacuate Rafah. UNhumanitarian office spokesperson,Laerke said "panic and despair" were gripping the people in Rafah.

6)UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called on Israel to "immediately" re-open theRafah and Karem Shalom crossings andurged the Jewish state to"stop any escalation".He also said that a "full-scale assault" on Rafah would be a "human catastrophe."

7)Palestinian and Egyptian officials said that Israeli tanks had entered Rafah.

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8)The USin its first response to Israel's Rafah operation told Reuters,"We continue to believe that a hostage deal is in the best interest of the Israeli and the Palestinian people; it would bring an immediate ceasefire and allow increased humanitarian assistance into Gaza."

9)Israeli operation in Gaza’s Rafah city marks another war crime by Israel, said Turkish Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz, on Tuesday.

10)The Palestinian Authority called on the United States to "intervene immediately" to prevent Israel from invading Rafah, reported the Palestinian news agency WAFA.

(With inputs from agencies)

Disclaimer: WION takes utmost care to accurately and responsibly report ongoing developments on the Israel-Palestine conflict after the Hamas attacks. However, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos.