Israel explores alternatives to ceasefire talks with Hamas

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Friday his government was considering alternative options to ceasefire talks with Hamas after Israel and the US recalled their negotiating teams throwing the future of the negotiations into further uncertaintyNetanyahus statement came as a Hamas official said negotiations were expected to resume next week and portrayed the recall of the Israeli and American delegations as a pressure tactic Egypt and Qatar which are mediating the talks alongside the United States said the pause was only temporary and that talks would resume though they did not say whenThe teams left Qatar on Thursday as President Donald Trumps special envoy Steve Witkoff said Hamas latest response to proposals for a deal showed a lack of desire to reach a truce Witkoff said the US will look at alternative options without elaboratingIn a statement released by his office Netanyahu echoed Witkoff saying Hamas is the obstacle to a hostage release deal Together with our US allies we are now considering alternative options to bring our hostages home end Hamass terror rule and secure lasting peace for Israel and our region he said He did not elaborate Israels government didnt immediately respond to whether negotiations would resume next weekStall in talks comes as hunger worsensA breakthrough on a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas has eluded the Trump administration as experts warn Gaza is being pushed closer to famine after months of Israel entirely blocking food or letting in only limited amounts This month deaths related to malnutrition have accelerated More then two dozen Westernaligned countries and more than 100 charity and human rights groups have called for an end to the war harshly criticising Israels blockade and a new aid delivery model it has rolled outThe charities and rights groups said even their own staff were struggling to get enough food On Thursday French President Emmanuel Macron announced that France would recognise Palestine as a state The urgent thing today is that the war in Gaza stops and the civilian population is saved he saidDesperate Palestinians gathered at a charity kitchen in Gaza City on Friday clutching empty pots waiting for a share of watery lentil soup Such kitchens distributing cooked meals have been a main source of food for many Palestinians but the number of meals they produce every day has plummeted to 160000 from more than a million in April according to the UNWeve been living three months without bread said one woman in line Riham Dwas Were relying on charity kitchens surviving on a pot of lentils and there are many times when we dont even have that When she cant find food she takes her children to a hospital to be put on saline IV drips for sustenanceMourners carry the bodies of strike victimsAn Israeli airstrike hit a schoolturnedshelter for displaced people in Gaza City killing at least five people including an 11yearold boy according to hospital officials Afterwards dozens of mourners marched carrying the bodies from Shifa Hospital as women nearby screamed and wept Enough screamed Taraji Adwan whose son and grandson were among the dead She said the strike hit as she was filling up water jugsStop the war Our children are dying from starvation malnutrition dehydration lack of food strikes and dying from fear and destruction Enough Hamas Enough Israel Enough world she said The Gaza Health Ministry said around 80 people were killed since Thursday night mostly in strikes but including nine killed while seeking aidTalks have struggled over issue of ending the warHamas official Bassem Naim said Friday that the group was told that the Israeli delegation returned home for consultations and would return early next week to resume ceasefire negotiationsHamas said that Witkoffs remarks were meant to pressure the group for Netanyahus benefit during the next round of talks and that in recent days negotiations had made progress Naim said several gaps had been nearly solved such as the agenda of the ceasefire guarantees to continue negotiating to reach a permanent agreement and how humanitarian aid would be deliveredIn a joint statement Egypt and Qatar also said progress had been made It is a natural to pause talks to hold consultations before the resumption of the dialogue once more they said The sides have held weeks of talks in Qatar reporting small signs of progress but no major breakthroughs Officials have said a main sticking point is the redeployment of Israeli troops from positions in Gaza after any ceasefire takes placeThe deal under discussion is expected to include an initial 60day ceasefire in which Hamas would release 10 living hostages and the remains of 18 others in phases in exchange for Palestinians imprisoned by Israel Aid supplies would be ramped up and the two sides would hold negotiations on a lasting ceasefireThe talks have been bogged down over competing demands for ending the war Hamas says it will only release all hostages in exchange for a full Israeli withdrawal and end to the war Israel says it will not agree to end the conflict until Hamas gives up power and disarms The militant group says it is prepared to leave power but not surrender its weaponsHamas is believed to be holding the hostages in different locations including tunnels and says it has ordered its guards to kill them if Israeli forces approach Some 50 hostages remain in Gaza but fewer than half are believed to be alive Their families say the startstop talks are excruciatingI thought that maybe something will come from the time that the negotiation Israeli team were in Doha said Yehuda Cohen whose son Nimrod is being held hostage And when I heard that theyre coming back I ask myself When will this nightmare endThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole 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