Gaza War: Accelerated Egyptian-Qatari Mediation Seeks Resolution

Smoke rises after an Israeli airstrike on the Gaza Strip (AP)
Smoke rises after an Israeli airstrike on the Gaza Strip (AP)
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Gaza War: Accelerated Egyptian-Qatari Mediation Seeks Resolution

Smoke rises after an Israeli airstrike on the Gaza Strip (AP)
Smoke rises after an Israeli airstrike on the Gaza Strip (AP)

Egypt has lately pressed ahead with its efforts to finalize positions regarding the framework proposed by Cairo to end the war in the Gaza Strip.

However, there has been no official response from any concerned party, according to official confirmations.

Simultaneously, several positions from the side of Hamas have surfaced, reaffirming the movement's previously declared stance.

This stance asserts that there will be “no negotiations on any deal with Israel without a complete and comprehensive ceasefire.”

Observers speculate that Yahya Sinwar, the leader of Hamas in Gaza, might lean towards accepting the Egyptian proposal.

Meanwhile, Israel has yet to declare a clear position on the same proposal or a separate Qatari initiative for a prisoner exchange.

Israeli media quoted an official indicating “slight progress” in the ongoing talks on a prisoner exchange deal between Israel and Hamas, emphasizing that “the road ahead is still long.”

Egypt had presented what was described as a “framework proposal,” consisting of three consecutive and interconnected stages that culminate in a ceasefire.

On Saturday, Egypt reiterated its rejection of any interference in Palestinian affairs and stated that it had presented a “framework proposal" regarding the cessation of hostilities in Gaza.

The aim is to bridge the perspectives between the involved parties, although a formal initiative has not yet been put forth.

Egypt’s Chairman of the State Information Service Diaa Rashwan emphasized to the Arab World Press that recent speculations are inaccurate.

He clarified that all matters related to the Palestinian issue are solely the concern of the Palestinian people, and no external parties can intervene.

Dismissing rumors about the formation of a Palestinian government through non-Palestinian external intervention, Rashwan stated that such claims are unfounded.

Rashwan outlined Egypt’s proposal, consisting of three stages that entail extendable ceasefires and the gradual release of dozens of prisoners held by Hamas.

This exchange is contingent on the release of Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails, ultimately leading to a cessation of hostilities.



Hezbollah Says Fires Rocket Salvo at Northern Israel

A man checks his shrapnel-poked car near a building hit by a rocket fired from Lebanon in Kiryat Ata in Israel's Haifa district on October 19, 2024, amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hezbollah. (AFP)
A man checks his shrapnel-poked car near a building hit by a rocket fired from Lebanon in Kiryat Ata in Israel's Haifa district on October 19, 2024, amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hezbollah. (AFP)
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Hezbollah Says Fires Rocket Salvo at Northern Israel

A man checks his shrapnel-poked car near a building hit by a rocket fired from Lebanon in Kiryat Ata in Israel's Haifa district on October 19, 2024, amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hezbollah. (AFP)
A man checks his shrapnel-poked car near a building hit by a rocket fired from Lebanon in Kiryat Ata in Israel's Haifa district on October 19, 2024, amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hezbollah. (AFP)

Hezbollah said it fired rockets at northern Israel, including at a military base near the city of Haifa on Saturday after the Israeli army reported a barrage of projectiles launched from Lebanon.

The "large salvo" of advanced rockets hit a military base east of Haifa, said Hezbollah, which has vowed to intensify attacks on Israel weeks into an all-out war that erupted on September 23.

In an earlier statement, the Iran-backed group said it targeted a region north of Haifa city with a rocket salvo.

Five people were injured in Kiryat Ata, in the Haifa district, mostly from shrapnel injuries, said a spokesperson for emergency service provider Magen David Adom.

A rocket damaged a three-storey building and burned two cars in Kiryat Ata, with firefighting teams and ambulances dispatched to the area, AFP footage showed.

The Haifa attacks came as Israel said a drone targeted Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's residence in the central Israeli town of Caesarea on Saturday.

Netanyahu's office said the Israeli premier and his wife were not in Caesarea during the drone attack and "there were no injuries".

Throughout the morning, sirens blared in Israel as Lebanese fighters Hezbollah launched projectiles from various locations.

The Iran-backed group on Thursday said it was opening a new "escalatory phase" in its war with Israel.

Late last month, Israel dramatically stepped up its air strikes on Lebanon and sent in ground forces after nearly a year of cross-border exchanges.

Lebanon's health ministry said two people were killed on Saturday in an Israeli strike on a vital highway north of Beirut, in the first attack on the area since Hezbollah and Israel started trading fire last year.

Since late September, the war has left at least 1,418 people dead in Lebanon, according to an AFP tally of Lebanese health ministry figures, though the real toll is likely higher.