GAZA CITY: Israel and Hamas are set for more indirect talks on the Gaza ceasefire, but deep divisions persist between the two sides on the terms of the fragile truce.
Mediated by Qatar, Egypt and the United States, the initial phase of the ceasefire took effect on January 19, largely halting 15 months of deadly fighting in Gaza triggered by October 7, 2023, attack on Israel.
That phase ended in early March, and though both sides have since refrained from all-out war, they have been unable to agree on the next stage of the ceasefire in the Palestinian territory.
Late on Saturday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu instructed Israeli negotiators to continue the talks, his office said. He directed them to base the negotiations on what his office said was a proposal by US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff that calls for the "immediate release of 11 living captives and half of the deceased captives".
However, Witkoff told CNN on Sunday he had offered a "bridge proposal" that would see five living captives, including Israeli-American Edan Alexander, released in return for freeing a "substantial amount of Palestinian prisoners" from Israel jails. "I thought the proposal was compelling," Witkoff said.
"The Israelis were informed about it and advised about it beforehand and after waiting for two or three days for Hamas... we got an unacceptable response.
"It was totally unacceptable. I think there is an opportunity for them but the opportunity is closing fast," Witkoff said.
A Hamas official said the group was ready to release Alexander and the bodies of four other Israeli-Americans.
Meanwhile, Israeli military strikes have killed at least 14 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip over the past 24 hours, the enclave's Health Ministry said on Sunday.
Palestinian officials say dozens of people have been killed by Israeli fire despite the January 19 truce that halted large-scale fighting in Gaza.
Gaza's Health Ministry said most of the latest deaths took place on Saturday when an Israeli air strike killed nine Palestinians including four journalists in the town of Beit Lahiya in the northern Gaza Strip.
Salama Marouf, the head of the Gaza government media office, said the military's statement about the incident included the names of people who were not present. - Agencies
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