Gaza ceasefire talks to resume in Qatar on Sunday as Israel approves Rafah invasion

CAIRO – 16 March 2024: Mediators from Egypt and Qatar, along with Mossad Director David Barnea, will resume talks in Doha on Sunday, aiming to secure a long-anticipated ceasefire in Gaza.

Attempts to reach a truce come as Israel gives its approval for a potential ground invasion in Rafah, a move that has been widely criticized by the international community and Israeli allies.

The prospect of an Israeli invasion in Rafah has been deemed catastrophic by world countries, as the city is home to over 1.5 million Palestinians, comprising more than half of Gaza's population.

Prior to the war, Rafah's population was around 200,000, but displacement from the conflict has led to an overwhelming increase in residents and strain on infrastructure.

Israel's Rafah plan involves evacuating the population towards designated “humanitarian islands” in the center of the strip.

Egyptian officials, together with Barnea, will join Qatar's Prime Minister, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, in Doha to resume the ceasefire talks on Sunday.

Previous attempts by mediators from Egypt, Qatar, and the United States to reach a ceasefire and prisoner swap deal between Hamas and Israel before the holy month of Ramadan were unsuccessful.

However, Hamas has recently submitted a proposal to the mediators, which includes a ceasefire, a prisoner exchange, and the delivery of humanitarian aid.

According to the proposal, the release of Palestinian prisoners from Israeli prisons would include 100 individuals serving life sentences.

Hamas also stipulates the release of Israeli women, children, elderly, and ill hostages, including female recruits.

In return, Israel would release 700-1,000 Palestinians in the initial phase.

The Israeli Prime Minister's office on Thursday dismissed these demands as "unrealistic."

As Ramadan continues, Palestinians in Gaza are fasting while hunger worsens in the strip.

UN estimates suggest that a quarter of Gaza's population is on the brink of famine.

Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi reiterated the country's warnings about the potential for famine due to the lack of aid delivery to Gaza.

During a visit to the Police Academy, President Sisi emphasized that Egypt has consistently cautioned against using food as a weapon against innocent Palestinian civilians in Gaza since the beginning of the war.

He also reaffirmed Egypt’s concerns about a planned Israeli offensive in Rafah.

President Sisi expressed hope that a ceasefire could be achieved within the next few days, enabling the delivery of a maximum amount of aid to Gaza to prevent a famine.

The Israeli war in Gaza has claimed the lives of 31,553 and injured 73,546 people, according to the health ministry in Gaza. Malnutrition and absence of infant formula have also caused 27 children to die over the past days.