Israel: Israel-Qatar meet, raising prospects of Gaza hostage talks

JERUSALEM: Israel appeared to verify that new negotiations had been below method to recuperate hostages held by Hamas, after a supply mentioned Israel’s intelligence chief met the prime minister of Qatar, a rustic mediating within the Israeli-Palestinian battle.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu instructed a press convention on Saturday the warfare in Gazawas existential and should be fought till victory.He mentioned Gaza could be demilitarised and below Israeli safety management.
Israel’s offensive in Gaza helped clinch a partial hostage-release deal in November, Netanyahu mentioned, vowing to take care of intense army stress on Hamas. He has vowed to destroy the militant Palestinian group, which runs the densely populated strip.
“The instruction I’m giving the negotiating crew relies on this stress, with out which we now have nothing,” he mentioned.
Hamas militants killed 1,200 individuals and captured 240 hostages in a shock raid into Israel on Oct. 7. Israel’s counteroffensive has killed near 19,000 individuals, in accordance with Gaza well being authorities, and left hundreds buried within the rubble.
Assist organisations say the destruction of Gaza and the displacement of most of its 2.3 million individuals – many residing in tents and makeshift shelters with out meals or clear water – is a humanitarian disaster.
The pinnacle of Israel’s Mossad spy company, David Barnea, met Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani late on Friday, in accordance with a supply with data of the matter, as consideration turned to a doable Gaza truce and a prisoner and hostage deal.
The assembly in Europe was apparently the primary between senior officers from Israel and Qatar, which has been performing as a mediator, because the collapse of a seven-day ceasefire in late November.
‘Get them out of hell’
Netanyahu sidestepped a query concerning the assembly however confirmed he had given directions to the negotiating crew.
“Now we have critical criticisms of Qatar,” he mentioned, alluding to the gas-rich Gulf state’s ties to Hamas and Israel’s arch-foe Iran. “However proper now we try to finish the restoration of our hostages.”
Hamas mentioned in a press release it “affirms its place to not open any negotiations to trade prisoners until the aggression in opposition to our individuals stops as soon as and for all,” including: “The motion communicated this place to all mediators.”
The unintended killing of three hostages by Israeli forces has put elevated stress on Netanyahu to discover a method to safe the discharge of these held.
As Netanyahu spoke, a number of hundred individuals staged a protest in Tel Aviv, with some holding placards, together with one saying “get them out of hell.” A speaker shouted: “Convey them house now!”
At dusk on Saturday, residents reported intensified combating within the centre of Khan Younis in southern Gaza, with Israeli planes and tanks bombing and shelling and the sound of rocket grenades, apparently fired by Hamas fighters.
“Day-after-day the scenario will get worse. Meals will get much less, water will get worse. Solely dying, concern and destruction get higher,” mentioned Samira, 40, a mom of 4, who’s displaced in Rafah, close to the southern border with Egypt.
In indicators of the broader ramifications of the battle, Yemen’s Iranian-backed Houthis mentioned they’d attacked the Israeli Crimson Sea resort of Eilat with a swarm of drones, one in every of a number of drone incidents reported within the area on Saturday.
Two main freight companies mentioned they’d keep away from the Suez Canal because the Houthis stepped up assaults on industrial vessels within the Crimson Sea.
The U.S. Central Command mentioned the destroyer Carney had shot down 14 Houthi drones within the Crimson Sea. Britain mentioned one in every of its warships had shot down a suspected assault drone focusing on service provider delivery.