Gaza - Doha: Europe and the Arabs
With the continued Palestinian casualties resulting from the Israeli army's ongoing military operations against civilians, officials expect the negotiations to reach a final decision on Sunday evening, in light of what they described as a "real opportunity" to reach a settlement.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio held a phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday, the second in three days, as Israel continues to expand its military offensive on the Gaza Strip and negotiations with Hamas enter a critical phase.
US State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce reported that the call addressed "the situation in Gaza and joint efforts to secure the release of the hostages still being held," without providing further details. According to a report by the Brussels-based Euronews website, the report added that in a related context, Yedioth Ahronoth quoted Israeli officials as saying that the security cabinet is preparing for a "critical 24-hour period" in its negotiations with Hamas, amid intense international pressure on both sides to reach an agreement. According to the same sources, the Israeli government is "open to making minor changes to the Witkoff Framework," the proposal that forms the basis of the ongoing negotiations, but "rejects any substantive amendments."
A senior Israeli official confirmed to the newspaper that "the negotiations now are not just a theatrical show, but a real moment for decision-making: either an agreement or a broader confrontation."
The officials are expected to conclude the negotiations with a final decision on Sunday evening, in light of what they described as a "real opportunity" to reach a settlement.
These developments come at a time when Israeli military operations in Gaza have been ongoing for more than seven months, amid international calls for a ceasefire and an agreement leading to the release of hostages and facilitating the entry of humanitarian aid into the Strip, which is experiencing catastrophic humanitarian conditions.
Palestinian media reported Sunday morning that the death toll from Israeli shelling of various areas of the Gaza Strip since dawn on Sunday has risen to more than 90 people.