War in the Middle East: Hamas wants immediate, permanent ceasefire

In the indirect negotiations between Israel and the Islamist Hamas on a settlement of the Gaza war, the start of the permanent ceasefire is emerging as the biggest point of contention.

Hamas has insisted on a permanent ceasefire from the beginning, reported the newspaper “The Times of Israel”, citing two officials involved in the matter. Israel’s government, on the other hand, initially only wants a temporary ceasefire during which more hostages are to be released.

Hamas fears that without the guarantee of a permanent ceasefire, Israeli forces could resume fighting after the release of some of the hostages remaining in the Gaza Strip, the report added. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly stated that in his view the war cannot end until his government’s goals – such as destroying Hamas’ military capabilities – have been achieved.

Disagreement over length of ceasefire

At the end of May, US President Joe Biden surprisingly presented a three-stage plan for a ceasefire in the Gaza war. The plan calls for a temporary ceasefire to be observed during which female, elderly and sick Israeli hostages will be released.

In return, Palestinians imprisoned in Israel would be released. In the next phase, the fighting would then cease permanently and the remaining hostages would be released. In a final phase, the draft would see the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip begin.

The UN Security Council has already spoken out in favor of the proposal and recently adopted a corresponding resolution. Hamas has now put forward a series of proposed changes. But the Israeli government has not yet clearly agreed to the US plan.

According to a report by Israeli television channel Channel 13, Hamas is also demanding that the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip begin in the first phase and that Israel is not allowed to veto the selection of Palestinian prisoners to be released. “This is the most extreme response Hamas could have given,” the channel quoted an Israeli official as saying. “Under these conditions, it is difficult to start a negotiation.”

Blinken: Some proposed changes are unrealistic

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken had already described Hamas’s proposed changes as partially unrealistic yesterday in Doha. “Some of the changes are feasible, some are not,” he said after a meeting with his Qatari counterpart Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani. Blinken did not get any more specific.

Qatar is determined to “bridge the gap” and bring Israel and Hamas closer to stopping the war, Al Thani said. “We hope that this phase will be as short as possible.” Qatar and the USA, as well as Egypt, are acting as mediators because Israel and Hamas are not negotiating directly with each other.

Security gaps in the Israeli secret service

According to a media report, an internal audit by the Israeli army at an important intelligence base has uncovered serious security deficiencies. A month ago, a covert team from the General Staff managed to penetrate the base of the respected elite intelligence unit 8200 north of Tel Aviv, reported the news site “ynet”.

The three inspectors, who posed as high-ranking officers at the entrance, walked through the base unhindered for about three hours, it was said. Among other things, they collected hundreds of secret documents and computer data storage devices. In view of the serious security gaps in the base, around 30 soldiers were reprimanded or given curfews.

If the inspectors had been real enemies, they could have caused serious damage to the base, wrote “ynet”. The news site quoted an unnamed military intelligence official as saying that the army had “learned nothing” after the massacre by the Islamist Hamas on October 7.

Details about hostage taking in Gaza Strip come to light

The men, who were freed from Hamas captivity a few days ago, were subjected to severe mistreatment in the Gaza Strip in recent months. The mother of the hostage Andrey Kozlov told the Israeli broadcaster Kan that her son had been tortured, tied up for two months and deliberately covered with many blankets on very hot days.

He described one guard as particularly cruel. At times, Kozlov barely had anything to eat and, like his fellow prisoners, was subjected to severe psychological abuse, his girlfriend told the Israeli broadcaster Channel 12. He will never tell his mother about some of the things he experienced.

WHO warns of catastrophic hunger in Gaza Strip

In view of the dramatic supply situation in the Gaza Strip, the World Health Organization (WHO) is warning of a further worsening of the humanitarian crisis. Many people in the area are exposed to “catastrophic hunger” and are living in conditions that resemble famine, said WHO Director Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

More than 8,000 children under the age of five have been diagnosed with acute malnutrition. There is little prospect of improvement, he said: “Despite reports of increased food supplies, there are currently no signs that those in need are being supplied with food in sufficient quantity and quality.”