An Israeli delegation, led by the head of Mossad, the foreign intelligence service, traveled to Paris this Friday in the hope of “unblocking” talks
for a new truce with Hamas
in the Gaza Strip, according to Israeli media.
The head of the Mossad, David Barnea, and the Shin Bet (internal intelligence service), Ronen Bar, flew to the French capital on Friday, according to the same sources.
Paris became, along with Cairo and Abu Dhabi, the center of these pilgrimages to achieve a humanitarian ceasefire and the release of foreign and Israeli hostages, who have been held by Hamas since the attack in Israel on October 7. past.
In late January, the head of Mossad met in Paris with his American and Egyptian counterparts and the prime minister of Qatar to discuss a new truce agreement in Gaza.
A first one-week truce allowed, at the end of November, the release of more than a hundred hostages in the hands of Hamas and 240 Palestinians imprisoned in Israel.
A Hamas source said the plan discussed in Paris in late January included
a six-week pause in fighting
and the release of 200 to 300 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for 35 to 40 hostages held by Hamas.
An Israeli tank runs through the border area with the Gaza Strip, this Friday.
Photo: REUTERS
Since then, talks have also been held in Egypt.
Hamas leader Ismaïl Haniyeh made a "multi-day" visit to Cairo that ended Thursday afternoon, according to the Palestinian Islamist movement.
According to Hamas, the discussions focused on the situation in Gaza, the “end of Israeli aggression”, the “return of the displaced to their homes” and a “prisoner exchange”.
Hamas's demand
The Palestinian movement has
been demanding a “complete ceasefire”
and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza for weeks.
These are demands
considered “delusional” by Israeli Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu, whose government is open to a pause in the fighting but claims to ultimately want to continue its military operation to “annihilate” Hamas.
Relatives of Israelis kidnapped by Hamas demand their release, in a ceremony this Friday in Tel Aviv.
Photo: AFP
Netanyahu also opposes the release of prisoners who participated in anti-Israel attacks, demanded by Hamas.
The extremist group now demands the release of Marwan Barghoutti, whom they call the Palestinian Mandela and has been imprisoned for two decades in Israeli prisons.
The relatives of the hostages fear that the far-right Israeli government will launch its offensive on Rafah, in the south of the Strip, and turn the hostages into “collateral damage.”
The war was triggered on October 7 by an unprecedented attack on Israel by Hamas commandos infiltrated from Gaza, resulting in the deaths of more than 1,160 people, mostly civilians.
In retaliation,
Israel promised to destroy Hamas,
which took power in Gaza in 2007. It launched an air, land and sea offensive that left more than 29,000 dead in the Palestinian territory, the vast majority civilians, according to the Ministry of Health and more. of 60,000 injured.
At least 1,700,000 Gazans have their homes completely destroyed and have nowhere to live.
The Strip is in
full famine,
without medicines or hospitals functioning.
Humanitarian aid arrives in dribs and drabs.
CB