The second day of ceasefire negotiations between Israel and Gaza, facilitated by international mediators, resumed in Qatar on Friday. The talks aim to prevent the conflict from escalating into a broader regional crisis. While Hamas is not directly involved in the discussions, representatives from Qatar and Egypt are participating on their behalf. Meanwhile, Israel’s foreign minister is scheduled to meet with his counterparts from the United Kingdom and France to strategize on mitigating regional escalation.
The renewed efforts to end the Israel-Hamas conflict come amidst a grim reality. The death toll in Gaza has tragically surpassed 40,000, according to health authorities in the region. Fears of a broader Middle East war have intensified since the July 31 killing of Hamas political leader and truce negotiator Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran. Iran and its allied groups in the region blamed Israel for the assassination and vowed revenge.
Haniyeh’s death came shortly after an Israeli strike killed Fuad Shukr, the military commander of Lebanon’s Iran-backed Hezbollah movement. Hezbollah has engaged in near-daily cross-border fire with Israeli forces. The Gaza war has also drawn in Tehran-aligned groups in Iraq, Syria, and Yemen. The US military confirmed the destruction of a “ground control station” operated by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels. The Huthis have been launching missiles and drones at shipping in waterways crucial to global trade off Yemen for months. Both the Huthis and Hezbollah claim to be acting in support of the Palestinians.
Violence has also surged in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Israeli President Isaac Herzog condemned a Jewish settler attack on a West Bank village that resulted in the death of one Palestinian and injuries to another. The Palestinian Authority reported the incident. In a statement carried by the Qatari News Agency, Herzog emphasized the mediators’ commitment to securing a cease-fire in Gaza that would enable the release of hostages, the delivery of substantial humanitarian aid, and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the territory.
For months, mediators have been working on a three-phase plan. This plan entails Hamas releasing hostages captured in the October 7 attack that triggered the war. In exchange, a lasting cease-fire, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, and the release of Palestinians imprisoned by Israel would be implemented. This comprehensive plan could potentially calm tensions across the region, possibly persuading Iran and Lebanon’s Hezbollah to refrain from retaliatory strikes against Israel following the recent assassinations of key figures.
