Israel-Hamas, Israel-Gaza, Hamas Leader Ismail Haniyeh in Egypt Today for Gaza Ceasefire Talks » Today Latest Stories

The leader of Hamas traveled to Egypt on Wednesday as hopes grow that Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas can move closer to another peace deal and release the enemy from the Gaza conflict.

The head of Hamas in Qatar, Ismail Haniyeh, arrived in Cairo to discuss “the violence in the Gaza Strip and other issues,” the group said.

He was due to meet with Egypt’s spy chief to discuss “preventing violence and war in order to prepare for the release of the prisoners,” a source close to the group told AFP.

Haniyeh – who met with Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian in Qatar – was leading a “high-level team” in Egypt, a regular mediator between Israel and the Palestinians, the source said.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the families of the hostages late Tuesday that he had twice sent his spy chief to Europe to “free our captors”.

“It is our duty, I am responsible for freeing all the hostages,” the minister told relatives of some of the 129 prisoners believed to be held in Gaza.

“Saving them is a big job.

“I have only sent the head of Mossad to Europe twice to promote the process of freeing our hostages. I will not stop working on this issue, and our duty is to bring them all.”

US news website Axios reported on Monday that Mossad chief David Barnea met with CIA director Bill Burns and Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani in Europe.

Qatar, supported by Egypt and the United States, brokered a week-long deal and prisoner exchange in November in which 80 Israeli prisoners were released in exchange for 240 Palestinian prisoners.

Axios reported on Tuesday that Israel offered a one-week ceasefire in Gaza to replace more than 1,000 people captured by Hamas.

The war began when Hamas forces came out of Gaza on October 7, killing about 1,140 Israelis, mostly civilians, and abducting about 250 people, according to an AFP investigation based on Israeli figures.

Vowing to destroy Hamas, Israel launched a campaign of bombings, followed by ground attacks, which the Gaza health ministry says have killed 19,667 people, mostly women and children.

Vote

International pressure is mounting for a new deal that would boost aid to the besieged Palestinian territory, as the United Nations is set to vote on a ceasefire after two days of delays.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog said on Tuesday that his country was “ready for another humanitarian break and for more aid to help people be freed”.

The Palestinian Islamic Jihad group, meanwhile, released a video on Tuesday that showed two hostages alive in a prison in Gaza, increasing pressure on Israel.

The UN Security Council is due to vote on Wednesday on a resolution to end the conflict, three diplomats told AFP, after two previous votes were delayed as members clashed over words.

The latest version of the statement calls for a “suspension” of hostilities, the sources said.

The US voted down an earlier ceasefire resolution in the council, sparking criticism from Palestinian and humanitarian groups, who have called for action to help civilians caught up in the conflict.

Meanwhile, the fighting is still ongoing as Israeli army spokesman Daniel Hagari said on Tuesday that the army is increasing operations in the southern Gaza Strip of Khan Yunis.

“We have to eliminate Hamas, and it will take a long time,” he said, as the army said it has now lost 133 soldiers since ground operations began at the end of October.

Hamas sources said on Wednesday at least 11 people were killed overnight in Israeli strikes across the Gaza Strip.

The UN estimates that 1.9 million of the 2.4 million people who live in Gaza have fled their homes and there is growing concern over the lack of humanitarian aid.

“Between massive displacement and massive attacks, humanitarian aid is on edge,” said Tor Wennesland, the UN’s special coordinator for peace in the Middle East.

As Gaza’s youth face a harsh winter, the UN children’s agency warns that “child deaths from disease could exceed those from bombings”.

The United States, despite its strong support for Israel, has also urged it to protect civilians in Gaza.

The call was echoed by British Foreign Secretary David Cameron, who on Tuesday called on Israel to take a “more surgical, medical and targeted approach” in its war against Hamas.

The Red Sea Attack

The war in Gaza has sparked fears of an escalation in the region and has seen Israel trade deadly fire across the border with Iran-backed Hezbollah operatives in southern Lebanon.

Meanwhile, Iran-backed Huthi rebels in Yemen have repeatedly fired missiles and drones at ships passing through the Red Sea that they say are aligned with Israel in a show of support for the Palestinians.

As a result, major shipping companies have diverted their ships, taking the cheapest route around Africa.

The United States announced a new navy on Monday to protect the waterway, which carries more than 10 percent of world trade.

The mission now includes warships from the United States, which has the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower nearby, as well as Britain, Canada, France, Italy and other countries.

The head of the Huthi government warned the rebels that they will continue to attack and that any country that opposes “its ships will be headed for the Red Sea”.

Meanwhile, Malaysia has said it has banned Israeli-flagged cargo ships from docking at its ports in response to Israel’s actions in Gaza, which it said ignored “basic humanitarian principles”.

Ships bound for Israel will also be banned from loading cargo at any Islamic port in Southeast Asia soon, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said in a statement.

(Except for the headline, this article has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from an aggregate source.)