Gaza's Armistice Can Be Achieved But It Takes Longer

Gaza/DOK FOTO Refugee Conditions

JAKARTA - The gap in the ongoing Gaza ceasefire negotiations in Qatar between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas could be bridged but it may take more than a few days to reach an agreement, Israeli officials said.

New push by US, Qatar and Egypt mediators to stop fighting in the battered enclave has increased since Sunday when the warring authorities started indirect negotiations in Doha and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu left for Washington.

Netanyahu met on Monday, July 7, with US President Donald Trump and said a ceasefire and hostage-taking deal could be reached this week.

The Israeli leader is scheduled to meet with Vice President J.D. Vance on Tuesday, July 8.

Trump's Steve Witkoff, who played a major role in drafting a ceasefire proposal, will travel to Doha this week to join the discussions there.

The ceasefire proposal envisions the gradual release of hostages, withdrawal of Israeli troops from parts of Gaza and discussions to end the war completely.

Hamas has long demanded an end to the war before releasing the remaining hostages. While Israel insisted it would not agree to end the fighting until all hostages were released and Hamas dissolved.

At least 20 of the remaining 50 hostages in Gaza are believed to be still alive.

Palestinian sources say there is a gap between the two sides regarding the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza.

Senior Israeli officials briefed reporters in Washington said it might take more than a few days to finalize an agreement in Doha.

But they did not elaborate further on the points that were the problem. While other Israeli officials say progress has been made.

Israeli Minister Zeev Elkin, who sits in Netanyahu's security cabinet, said there was a "big opportunity" for a ceasefire to be agreed upon.

"Hamas wants to change some of the main problems, it's not easy, but there's progress," he told Israeli public broadcaster Kan on Tuesday.

The war began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas-led militants stormed Israel, killing about 1,200 people and holding 251 people hostage in Gaza.

According to local health authorities, Israel's next campaign against Hamas in Gaza has killed more than 57,000 Palestinians, displaced nearly the entire population of more than 2 million people, sparked a humanitarian crisis and devastated most of the region.

In Gaza City, children walked among the rubble, where residents said Israeli airstrikes had occurred overnight, with children among the victims. The Israeli military did not immediately provide details about the targets of the attack.

"We hope the ceasefire will be reached and the massacre against the Palestinian people will stop," said Mohammed Joundiya, who stood in the ruins left after the attack.