Closing summary
Egypt was in contact with senior Hamas and Israeli figures as well as other mediators on Sunday in an effort to restart negotiations for a truce in the Gaza Strip during Ramadan, which begins on Monday or Tuesday, two Egyptian security sources told Reuters. Egypt’s contacts with Hamas and Israeli intelligence agency, the Mossad, on Sunday were reportedly carried out under a mandate from the Egyptian presidency in a bid to bring the two sides’ divergent positions together.
A ship carrying tonnes of food for Gaza remained docked in a Cyprus port on Sunday as preparations were under way to launch a yet untested maritime aid route to the enclave. The Open Arms, a salvage vessel, plans to tow a barge with 200 tonnes of food on. Packing the cargo was completed on Saturday evening, but a source told Reuters that the departure was partly dependent on creating a makeshift jetty in Gaza to facilitate deliveries since the strip has no port infrastructure. Israel’s war in Gaza has displaced most of the enclave’s 2.3 million people and led to critical shortages of food, water and medicine. The UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees said on Sunday that hunger is “everywhere” in Gaza and described the situation in the north of the enclave as “tragic”, saying that aid via land is “denied despite repeated calls”.
The US and Jordan carried out a new airdrop of humanitarian aid to Palestinians in Gaza on Sunday, parachuting in more than 11,500 meals, the US military said. The American military’s central command said that the latest airdrop took place over northern Gaza and included rice, flour, pasta, and canned food.
Lebanon’s Hezbollah said it had fired dozens of rockets into northern Israel after Israeli strikes the day before killed five people in southern Lebanon, including three of the group’s members. Hezbollah said it had launched “dozens of katyusha-type rockets” in the morning on the Israeli village of Meron, eight kilometres (five miles) from the border.
At least 31,045 Palestinians have been killed and 72,654 injured in Israeli strikes on Gaza since 7 October, the Gaza health ministry said in a statement on Sunday.
Updated
Egypt in touch with Hamas and Israel to restart ceasefire talks - report
Egypt was in contact with senior Hamas and Israeli figures as well as other mediators on Sunday in an effort to restart negotiations for a truce in the Gaza Strip during Ramadan, which begins on Monday or Tuesday, two Egyptian security sources told Reuters.
Egypt’s contacts with Hamas and Israeli intelligence agency, the Mossad, on Sunday were carried out under a mandate from the Egyptian presidency in an effort to bring the two sides’ divergent positions together, the sources said.
Qatar, Egypt and the US have been trying to negotiate a deal for a ceasefire during Ramadan in return for the release of Israel hostages captured in Hamas’ 7 October attacks. The latest round of talks, not attended by Israel, broke up in Cairo this week.
Israel has previously demanded that Hamas present a list of 40 elderly, sick and female hostages who would be the first to be released as part of a truce.
Hamas has reiterated its position that all Israeli forces leave Gaza, large-scale humanitarian aid should be allowed in, and that Palestinians displaced from their homes in the north of the coastal territory be allowed to return.
