Hamas has announced its intention to join new ceasefire talks in Cairo, coinciding with the recovery of an Israeli hostage’s body in the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis, according to the Israeli military.
Despite six months of war, multiple endeavors to secure a second truce have faltered, following a week-long hiatus at the end of November when hostages and Palestinian prisoners were swapped.
However, Hamas, the Islamist leaders of Gaza, announced on Saturday their intention to dispatch a delegation to Cairo for a new series of mediated discussions starting on Sunday, reported The Guardian.
Hamas reaffirmed its previous demands outlined in a proposal from March 14, which preceded the adoption of a UN Security Council resolution on March 25 urging for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.
According to Reuters, Israeli military commandos unearthed the body of Elad Katzir, a 47-year-old Israeli farmer, overnight in southern Khan Younis. Katzir had been killed by his Palestinian Islamic Jihad captors and buried there in mid-January, according to military sources, who cited intelligence information without providing further details.
Katzir was one of 253 individuals abducted into Gaza by militants associated with Hamas. These militants were responsible for the deaths of around 1,200 people in southern Israel, prompting a military response. According to reports from Gaza’s medical community, this military action has resulted in the loss of over 33,000 Palestinian lives.
Katzir’s father, Avraham, lost his life at their kibbutz, Nir Oz, while his mother Hanna was also abducted but subsequently liberated in November as part of a truce arrangement.
The Gaza Health Ministry reported on Saturday one of the lowest daily death tolls in six months, stating that 46 Palestinians had lost their lives in Israeli airstrikes within the past 24 hours.
According to Egypt’s Al Qahera news, it is anticipated that the CIA director, Bill Burns, will participate in Sunday’s discussions, alongside the Qatari Foreign Minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, and a delegation from Israel.
The news of Katzir’s death emerges as protests surge, demanding Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to prioritize negotiations for a new hostage deal and to initiate early elections.
Carmit Palty Katzir, Katzir’s sister, holds Israeli authorities accountable for her brother’s fate, asserting that his return alive could have been secured had authorities agreed to a new truce arrangement.
Authorities have stated that they suspect at least 35 of the remaining 130 hostages have perished while being held captive.
The attacks carried out by Hamas on October 7 resulted in the deaths of approximately 1,200 individuals, with the majority being civilians.
