Israel and Hamas confirm indirect consultations being held in Qatar as Israel expands its ground attack and kills dozens of people.
Israel and Hamas confirmed that a Gaza suspension meeting in Qatar is ongoing as Israeli forces spread ground attacks on besieged Palestinian territory despite international calls for a ceasefire.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said in a statement on Saturday that the Hamas delegation in Doha has returned to negotiations “in a hostage trade.”
According to Katz, Israel was participating in the consultations without any conditions.
Hamas Leadership Media Advisor Taher Al-Nono confirmed with Reuters that a new round of indirect consultations began without a condition.
“The Hamas delegation outlined the group’s position and the need to end the war, to withdraw from prisoners, Israel’s Gaza, and to bring all the needs of the Gaza people back to the strip,” he added.
Medical sources told Al Jazeera that at least 54 Palestinians were killed in Israel’s air attacks on Saturday as Israel launched a new attack in Gaza.
The Israeli Army said on social media that it was to intensify the attack and put “incredible pressure” on Hamas across Gaza, and that it would not stop until the prisoners returned and the armed groups were dismantled. Katz said Gideon’s tank operations were led by “great power.”
The ground attack comes after Israel escalated an air attack on Gaza, killing hundreds of Palestinians in the past three days. Many of the victims were killed in northern Gaza, including Beit Rahiya and Jabaria, who were recently ordered to evacuate by Israeli forces.
Arab League leaders held a Gaza-focused summit in Baghdad, Iraq, and on Saturday Hamas urged the international community to impose sanctions on Israel.
In a statement by the Telegram Channel, the armed group described the situation in Gaza as “a full-scale genocide carried out in front of the eyes of a helpless world, with over 2.5 million people being massacred on the besieged strip.”
The group also continued its fight against Israeli invasions, claiming that fighters on Saturday used machine guns to kill and injure two Israeli soldiers in Gaza city’s Shujayai district, the northern part of the enclave.
UN chief Antonio Guterres said he was “on wary” about Israel’s new ground project in Gaza and called for an immediate ceasefire.
UN Rescue Chief Tom Fletcher said the US-Israel joint program to replace Gaza’s international aid mechanism was a “waste of time” as more than 160,000 aid is “ready to move” at the border, but is blocked by Israel.
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