Egypt is hosting a high-level delegation from Hamas on Friday for talks aimed at bringing an end to the war that has devastated the Gaza Strip for nearly 12 weeks with Israel.
Military Escalation in Gaza
The Cairo meeting comes at a time when fighting continues in the southern and central parts of the besieged Palestinian territories, ignited by Hamas’s deadly attack on Israel on October 7.
The Palestinian Red Crescent reported on Thursday that Israeli shelling near a hospital in southern Gaza has killed 41 people over the past two days.
The Red Crescent stated that the victims of the repeated Israeli strikes near Al-Amal Hospital in Khan Younis include “displaced individuals seeking shelter.”
Escalating Conflict in Gaza
The United Nations humanitarian office stated that approximately 100,000 people have been displaced to the densely populated southern border city of Rafah in recent days due to the intensifying fighting around Deir al-Balah and Khan Younis.
The Israeli army announced on Friday that its forces are “expanding operations in Khan Younis” and have “eliminated dozens of terrorists” across Gaza in the past 24 hours.
Video footage from Agence France-Presse showed smoke rising over Rafah, near Egypt, following new strikes early on Friday.
Humanitarian Impact in Gaza
The Gaza Health Ministry, controlled by Hamas, reported on Thursday that Israeli bombardment has claimed the lives of 20 people, mostly women and children, in the Al-Shaboura camp in Rafah.
The fighting in Gaza has left much of northern the Strip in ruins, while the battlefield has increasingly shifted south, raising tensions across the Middle East.
Threats and Tensions
Israel has vowed to destroy Hamas – which the United States and the European Union deem a “terrorist group” – in response to the October attack that left about 1,140 people dead, mostly civilians, according to estimates from Agence France-Presse based on Israeli figures.
Approximately 250 hostages were also taken during the attack, and more than half remain in captivity.
The Israeli military has reported that 168 of its soldiers have been killed inside Gaza.
Egypt’s Ceasefire Plan
Sources close to Hamas say that Egypt’s three-phase plan includes a renewed ceasefire, a gradual release of hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners in Israel, and ultimately an end to the war.
Demands and Negotiation
Hamas is also seeking “guarantees for the complete withdrawal of the Israeli military” from Gaza, according to a Hamas official.
The plan involves forming a Palestinian government of technocrats following talks that include “all Palestinian factions,” which will be responsible for governance and reconstruction in Gaza after the war.
Dia Roshwan, head of the Egyptian government’s Information Services, stated that the plan “aims to gather the views of all parties involved, with the goal of ending the Palestinian bloodshed.”
Tensions and Protests
In Israel, a protest on Thursday calling for a ceasefire saw hundreds of demonstrators gather in a central square in the coastal city of Tel Aviv.
Protester Itay Eyal, a 51-year-old teacher, said: “Israelis and Palestinians, Muslims, Jews, and Christians – this is everyone’s home.”
The bloodiest war in Gaza has also increased tensions between Israel and Iran, the eternal foe, which supports armed groups in the Middle East.
Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah have exchanged cross-border fire since the outbreak of the war in Gaza, and Israel stated on Friday that its army had bombed “Hezbollah infrastructure in southern Lebanon” following reports of rockets being fired from there.
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