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29 May 2024

Gaza Cease-Fire Talks Could Restart as Pressure Increases on Israel

Carrie Keller-Lynn, Dov Lieber and Summer Said

Mediators are making efforts to restart cease-fire talks between Israel and Hamas to halt fighting in the Gaza Strip, after an international court ordered Israel to scale back military action in Rafah.

Talks to pause fighting in Gaza and return some Israeli hostages held in the enclave could resume as early as the new week ahead, according to Israeli officials who want discussions to be renewed. Central Intelligence Agency Director William Burns, Mossad Director David Barnea and Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani met in Paris on Friday to discuss the matter, said an Israeli official who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter.

Restarting talks would depend upon whether Hamas agrees to engage, Arab mediators said. Hamas has been approached but hasn’t yet agreed to participate, they said. The U.S.-designated terrorist organization cited what it described as a concern that Israel isn’t serious about reaching a deal. A senior Hamas official later denied that the organization had been informed “about anything related to the resumption of negotiations,” in a Saturday interview with Al Jazeera.

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