Hamas is considering giving Israel and Gaza ceasefire mediators until the end of the week to reach a deal that would end the war or it will withdraw from the current talks in Doha and only return if proposals for a comprehensive deal are on the table, sources told The National on Sunday.
The latest round of Gaza talks mediated by the US, Qatar and Egypt began on July 6. Significant progress has since been made on some issues but Israel and Hamas remain at odds over several key questions.
If the ultimatum is handed, Hamas will only return to the negotiating table to discuss the terms and details of a comprehensive agreement that ends the war in Gaza and ensures an Israeli withdrawal from the coastal enclave, the sources said.
“The ultimatum, if given, will be a message to the United States and the families of the hostages held by Hamas to exert pressure on Israel to accept a deal,” said one of the sources.
“The idea comes from commanders of Hamas's military wing who are bearing witness to the humanitarian tragedy and Israel's moves on the ground while frustrated at the slow pace of progress in Doha.”
Such an agreement will also provide for the exit of wounded Palestinians to receive medical treatment abroad and the return to the enclave of those whose treatment has been completed.
It also envisages the unfettered flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza and the running of the territory's affairs by a panel of independent Palestinian experts once a ceasefire goes into effect.
The Doha talks are taking place amid a worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza, with hundreds of thousands now facing hunger and acute shortages of essential life items.
The sticking points include the Israeli army's withdrawal from Gaza, the distribution of humanitarian aid and the inclusion of some high-profile Palestinians among the hundreds to be freed from Israeli prisons in return for the release of hostages held by Hamas.
The Israeli army is also suspected of killing hundreds of Palestinians while collecting aid from the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, a US and Israeli-backed group that bypassed the UN's distribution network. Israel alleges the UN system has allowed Hamas-led militants loot aid shipments intended for civilians. Hamas denies the charge.
There was no immediate confirmation from Hamas on the plan reported by the sources, but both the militant group and Israel have accused each other of preventing a deal from being reached by not compromising on their conditions.
The latest Hamas position would not mark the first time a temporary truce and a limited hostages-for-prisoners swap is put aside, with the group instead focusing on negotiating a wider and enduring settlement.
The move is rooted in its fear that the Israeli army will resume military operations when the proposed 60-day truce expires or when all the hostages are freed.
Hamas is believed to be holding 50 hostages, of whom 20 are still alive.
Israel, for its part, has been generally reluctant to publicly discuss what comes after the proposed truce ends, insisting the war will only end when Hamas's governing and military capabilities are completely dismantled and its leaders leave Gaza to live in exile.
The sources said the decision to give Israel and the mediators an ultimatum also reflected what Hamas saw as time-wasting tactics by Israel in the Doha talks while it proceeds with plans to keep its military indefinitely in Gaza, carving out security zones inside the tiny enclave and pushing hundreds of thousands into designated areas for food distribution from which they cannot leave.
In its latest move, the Israeli army published new eviction warnings for areas of central Gaza on Sunday, for the first time.
When implemented, the evacuation will cut access between the city of Deir Al Balah and the southern cities of Rafah and Khan Younis. Moreover, the area under the order is also home to many international organisations attempting to distribute aid.
The Gaza war began when Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel on October 7, 2023, killing about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking another 250 hostages back to Gaza.
Israel's response to the attack has since killed more than 58,000 Palestinians, most of them civilians, according to health officials, displaced almost the entire 2.3 million population, plunged the enclave into a humanitarian crisis and left much of the territory in ruins.
RESULTS
6.30pm: Maiden Dh165,000 (Dirt) 1,200
Winner: Miqyaas, Adrie de Vries (jockey), Rashed Bouresly (trainer).
7.05pm: Handicap Dh165,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner: Untold Secret, Xavier Ziani, Salem bin Ghadayer.
7.40pm: Maiden Dh165,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner: Shanty Star, Fabrice Veron, Rashed Bouresly.
8.15pm: Handicap Dh190,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner: Alkaamel, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi.
8.50pm: Handicap Dh175,000 (D) 1,400m
Winner: Speedy Move, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar.
9.25pm: Handicap Dh175,000 (D) 2,000m
Winner: Quartier Francois, Fernando Jara, Ali Rashid Al Raihe.
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, second leg result:
Ajax 2-3 Tottenham
Tottenham advance on away goals rule after tie ends 3-3 on aggregate
Final: June 1, Madrid
Things Heard & Seen
Directed by: Shari Springer Berman, Robert Pulcini
Starring: Amanda Seyfried, James Norton
2/5
Hotel Silence
Auður Ava Ólafsdóttir
Pushkin Press
The candidates
Dr Ayham Ammora, scientist and business executive
Ali Azeem, business leader
Tony Booth, professor of education
Lord Browne, former BP chief executive
Dr Mohamed El-Erian, economist
Professor Wyn Evans, astrophysicist
Dr Mark Mann, scientist
Gina MIller, anti-Brexit campaigner
Lord Smith, former Cabinet minister
Sandi Toksvig, broadcaster
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
if you go
The flights Fly Dubai, Air Arabia, Emirates, Etihad, and Royal Jordanian all offer direct, three-and-a-half-hour flights from the UAE to the Jordanian capital Amman. Alternatively, from June Fly Dubai will offer a new direct service from Dubai to Aqaba in the south of the country. See the airlines’ respective sites for varying prices or search on reliable price-comparison site Skyscanner.
The trip
Jamie Lafferty was a guest of the Jordan Tourist Board. For more information on adventure tourism in Jordan see Visit Jordan. A number of new and established tour companies offer the chance to go caving, rock-climbing, canyoning, and mountaineering in Jordan. Prices vary depending on how many activities you want to do and how many days you plan to stay in the country. Among the leaders are Terhaal, who offer a two-day canyoning trip from Dh845 per person. If you really want to push your limits, contact the Stronger Team. For a more trek-focused trip, KE Adventure offers an eight-day trip from Dh5,300 per person.
The specs: 2018 Audi RS5
Price, base: Dh359,200
Engine: 2.9L twin-turbo V6
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 450hp at 5,700rpm
Torque: 600Nm at 1,900rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 8.7L / 100km
Company%C2%A0profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Eamana%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2010%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Karim%20Farra%20and%20Ziad%20Aboujeb%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EUAE%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERegulator%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDFSA%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFinancial%20services%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECurrent%20number%20of%20staff%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E85%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESelf-funded%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
if you go
The flights
Emirates flies to Delhi with fares starting from around Dh760 return, while Etihad fares cost about Dh783 return. From Delhi, there are connecting flights to Lucknow.
Where to stay
It is advisable to stay in Lucknow and make a day trip to Kannauj. A stay at the Lebua Lucknow hotel, a traditional Lucknowi mansion, is recommended. Prices start from Dh300 per night (excluding taxes).
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
AS%20WE%20EXIST
%3Cp%3EAuthor%3A%20Kaoutar%20Harchi%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EPublisher%3A%20Other%20Press%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EPages%3A%20176%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EAvailable%3A%20Now%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
THE CLOWN OF GAZA
Director: Abdulrahman Sabbah
Starring: Alaa Meqdad
Rating: 4/5
Sonchiriya
Director: Abhishek Chaubey
Producer: RSVP Movies, Azure Entertainment
Cast: Sushant Singh Rajput, Manoj Bajpayee, Ashutosh Rana, Bhumi Pednekar, Ranvir Shorey
Rating: 3/5
