GAZA — Israeli airstrikes targeted homes in the Gaza Strip killing at least 17 Palestinians late on Tuesday, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry.
The bodies of 11 people were brought to Al Aqsa Martyrs Hospital after a strike smashed into a house in Deir al-Balah. Another strike killed six people and wounded seven others in the densely populated Nuseirat refugee camp.
The fresh attacks came as Israel and Hamas appeared to be narrowing in on a ceasefire deal to end the 15-month war and release dozens of hostages held in Gaza.
Some 100 hostages are still inside the enclave, with at least a third of them believed to be dead. On 7 October 2023, Hamas-led militants staged an attack on southern Israel, killing 1,200 people and abducting around 250 others.
Two officials involved in the talks told The Associated Press that Hamas has accepted a draft agreement for a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of dozens of hostages. An Israeli official said progress has been made but the details have not yet been finalized.
The White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan commented on the talks, which are being brokered by the United States along with Qatar and Egypt, saying “hopefully we will close out Gaza deal this week”.
Israel’s war on Gaza has killed more than 46,000 Palestinians according to health authorities. The Gaza Health Ministry does not distinguish between combatants and civilians, but says women and children make up more than half the fatalities. Earlier reports by the UN have indicated similar findings.
US President Joe Biden, who brokered the truce along with Qatar and Egypt, has said that the deal is based on one he laid out in detail in May which would involve a so-called three part "phased ceasefire".
It is understood that Netanyahu has signalled he is only committed to the first phase of a partial hostage release in exchange for weekslong halt in fighting. The possibility of a lasting ceasefire would be negotiated after the first phase begins, according to Hamas officials.
In the "first phase" of the ceasefire Hamas would release dozens of the most vulnerable hostages taken to Gaza by Hamas militants on 7 October. Reuters has reported that, currently, negotiations were in advanced stages for the release of 33 of the 98 women, children and female soldiers. In this stage, at least some Palestinians would be allowed to return to their homes.
In the "second phase," Hamas would release the remaining hostages in exchange for around 1,000 Palestinian prisoners, a withdrawal of Israeli forces and a lasting ceasefire. The remaining sticking points will be negotiated during the first phase.
Although sources say talks have progressed it’s not the first time officials in the US, Egypt and Qatar — who have spent over a year trying to broker an agreement — have said they were on the verge of reaching a deal only for discussions to stall.
An agreement has been held up by a number of contentious issues, including details on the withdrawal of Israeli troops and the exchange of hostages for Palestinian prisoners.
Hamas has said it won't release a number of Israeli hostages held in Gaza without Israel withdrawing its troops. On the other side, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to keep fighting until "total victory" has been achieved over the militant group.
Officials hope that if fighting can stop the two sides can work through an agreement on these sticking points.
The renewed discussions come as US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said a deal this week is "very close", adding he hoped to complete it before President-elect Donald Trump is inaugurated at the end of January. For his part, Trump told US channel Newsmax he understood a ceasefire was "getting finished" and that there had been a "handshake" in the negotiations. — Euronews
