Israel's war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip is entering its seventh month. This Sunday, negotiators from the United States, Egypt, Qatar, Israel and Hamas are meeting in Cairo for yet another attempt to reach a truce associated with the release of hostages. Meanwhile, the Israeli government faces increased distrust from its allies, and growing opposition in the country's public opinion.
New talks in Cairo
According to American media, the head of the CIA, Bill Burns, is in Cairo this weekend to meet the head of the Israeli Mossad, David Barnea, as well as Egyptian and Qatari officials. The White House confirmed talks.
Israeli and Hamas delegations will visit the Egyptian capital on Sunday, alongside Bill Burns and the Qatari Foreign Minister, pro-government Egyptian media Al-Qahera News reported on Saturday.
US President Joe Biden called on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
“to reach an agreement on the hostages”
kidnapped during the Hamas attack. He also asked Qatar and Egypt, the mediators with the United States,
“to get Hamas to commit to accepting an agreement
,” according to a senior American official on condition of anonymity.
Hamas, which confirmed the departure of its delegation to Cairo on Sunday, affirmed on Saturday that it would not give up its demands for a truce, including
"a complete ceasefire"
, an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, a return displaced people, and a
“serious”
agreement to exchange hostages and Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.
Also read: Efraïm Halévy: “Israel must enter into negotiations with Hamas”
Protests in Israel for Netanyahu's resignation
The prime minister faces increased pressure in Israel. On Saturday evening, a large anti-Netanyahu mobilization took place in Tel Aviv and other Israeli localities to demand his resignation, early legislative elections and an agreement on the hostages, who had been
"six months in hell"
, could - we read on a sign.
Israeli President Issac Herzog said Saturday that the army was fighting a
"difficult war"
to bring back all the hostages. For his part, the leader of the Israeli opposition, Yaïr Lapid, left for Washington on Saturday where he will meet senior American leaders, against a backdrop of tensions over Netanyahu's conduct of the war.
Australia wants to monitor investigation into deaths of aid workers
Australia will appoint a special adviser to work with Israel to ensure
“transparency”
of the investigation into the deaths in Gaza of seven aid workers, including an Australian, killed by an Israeli drone, the head of diplomacy announced Australian.
Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong told reporters on Saturday that information about the strike provided so far by Israel was not sufficient and that the government wants a
"suitably qualified person"
chosen by it to monitor the attacks. investigations.
Lalzawmi
“Zomi”
Frankcom, a 43-year-old Australian, along with six other aid workers from the American NGO World Central Kitchen (WCK), were killed Monday evening in the Gaza Strip by three Israeli strikes launched in the space of four minutes on their convoy.
Also read Israel in the pillory after the death of 7 humanitarian workers and the destruction of al-Shifa hospital
Strikes last night in Lebanon
Israeli strikes targeted eastern Lebanon at dawn on Sunday, where Hezbollah is strongly established, said a source close to this pro-Iranian formation, with the Lebanese Civil Defense not reporting any casualties.
The Israeli army confirmed this strike on its Telegram channel, claiming to have targeted Hezbollah sites in response to the destruction of one of its drones by this movement on Saturday over Lebanon.
“Israeli strikes targeted two areas in the Bekaa plain
,” Janta and Sifri, the source close to Hezbollah told the AFP correspondent in the Baalbek region (east).
A Civil Defense source did not report any casualties. The Israeli army, for its part, wrote on Telegram that
“combat aircraft struck a military compound and three other terrorist infrastructure sites belonging to the Hezbollah air defense network in the Baalbek region of Lebanon”
. These strikes were carried out
“in response to the attack in which an Israel Defense Forces drone was shot down”
on Saturday, she added.
Four Israeli soldiers killed in Gaza
The Israeli army on Sunday published the names of four of its soldiers killed in the Gaza Strip, bringing to 604 its total number of losses since the start of the offensive against Hamas.
The four commandos died in the southern Gaza Strip, after many weeks during which Israeli casualties were relatively low. Hamas, for its part, declared that it had ambushed IDF fighters on Saturday in Khan Younes.