Gaza truce talks in the balance as Israel and Hamas trade blame

Gaza ceasefire talks hung successful the equilibrium arsenic Hamas and Israel connected Saturday (July 12, 2025) accused the different of blocking attempts to onslaught a deal, astir a week into an effort to halt 21 months of bitter warring successful the Palestinian territory.

A Palestinian root with cognition of the indirect talks successful Qatar told AFP that Israel's proposals to support its troops successful the war-torn territory were holding up a woody for a 60-day pause.

But connected the Israeli side, a elder governmental official, besides speaking connected information of anonymity owed to the sensitivities of the talks, accused the militants of inflexibility and deliberately trying to scuttle an accord.

On the ground, Gaza's civilian defence bureau said much than 20 radical were killed crossed the territory connected Saturday, including successful an overnight aerial onslaught connected an country sheltering the displaced.

"While we were sleeping, determination was an explosion... wherever 2 boys, a miss and their parent were staying," Bassam Hamdan told AFP aft the onslaught successful an country of Gaza City.

"We recovered them torn to pieces, their remains scattered," helium added.

In confederate Gaza, bodies covered successful achromatic integrative sheets were brought to the Nasser infirmary successful Khan Yunis portion wounded successful Rafah were taken for attraction by donkey cart, connected stretchers oregon carried.

In Tel Aviv, thousands took to the streets urging the authorities to seal a hostage merchandise deal. "The model of opportunity... is unfastened present and it won't beryllium for long," said Eli Sharabi, who was freed successful February.

Both Hamas and Israel person said that 10 hostages held since the militants' October 7, 2023 onslaught that sparked the warfare would beryllium released -- if an statement is reached.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said helium was prepared past to participate talks for a much imperishable extremity to hostilities.

Enclave plans?

But 1 Palestinian root said Israel's refusal to judge Hamas's request for a implicit withdrawal of troops from Gaza was holding backmost advancement successful the talks.

A 2nd root said mediators had asked some sides to postpone discussions until U.S. President Donald Trump's peculiar envoy, Steve Witkoff, arrives successful the Qatari capital.

The archetypal root said Israel was proposing to support its subject successful much than 40 percent of the Palestinian territory, forcing hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians into a tiny country adjacent the metropolis of Rafah, connected the borderline with Egypt.

"Hamas's delegation volition not judge the Israeli maps... arsenic they fundamentally legitimise the reoccupation of astir fractional of the Gaza Strip and crook Gaza into isolated zones with nary crossings oregon state of movement," they said.

Israeli media reported that caller maps would beryllium presented connected Sunday, quoting an unnamed overseas authoritative with cognition of the details.

A elder Israeli governmental authoritative countered aboriginal that it was Hamas that rejected what was connected the table, accusing the radical of "creating obstacles" and "refusing to compromise" with the purpose of "sabotaging the negotiations".

"Israel has demonstrated a willingness to amusement flexibility successful the negotiations, portion Hamas remains intransigent, clinging to positions that forestall the mediators from advancing an agreement," the authoritative added successful a connection sent to AFP.

The Hamas attacks connected Israel successful 2023 resulted successful the deaths of astatine slightest 1,219 people, astir of them civilians, according to an AFP tally based connected Israeli figures.

Of the 251 hostages seized, 49 are inactive being held, including 27 the Israeli subject says are dead.

At slightest 57,882 Palestinians, besides mostly civilians, person been killed since the commencement of the war, according to the wellness ministry successful Hamas-run Gaza.

Military operations

The Israeli subject said connected Saturday it had attacked "approximately 250 violent targets passim the Gaza Strip" successful the erstwhile 48 hours.

It said combatant jets deed "over 35 Hamas panic targets" astir Beit Hanoun successful bluish Gaza.

Two erstwhile ceasefires -- a week-long truce opening successful precocious November 2023 and a two-month 1 from mid-January this twelvemonth -- saw 105 hostages released successful speech for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.

The 2nd Palestinian root said "some progress" had been made successful the latest talks connected plans for releasing Palestinian prisoners held by Israel and getting much assistance to Gaza.

Netanyahu, who is nether home and planetary unit to extremity the war, said this week that neutralising Hamas arsenic a information menace was a prerequisite for immoderate semipermanent ceasefire talks.

That included disarmament, helium said, informing that nonaccomplishment to bash truthful would mean Israel would person to bash truthful by force.