DOHA: A senior Hamas official said on Tuesday that a delegation from the Palestinian group was due to leave for Gaza truce talks in Cairo, warning it would be Israel’s “last chance” to release its hostages. “This may be the last chance to release the Israeli captives alive,” said the official, AFP reported.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, the Hamas official emphasized the gravity of the situation, asserting that the current negotiations may be the final opportunity to secure the release of Israeli hostages held by the Palestinian group.
The official said that despite earlier plans being disrupted by Israel’s incursion into the Rafah border crossing, Palestinian group negotiators are set to depart from Doha for Cairo shortly to engage in discussions mediated by Egyptian and Qatari officials.
The Hamas official expressed concern over Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s decision to escalate military actions in Rafah. The official warned that such actions could lead to dire consequences for the hostages. “This will be the last chance for Netanyahu and the families of the Zionist prisoners to return their children,” the official said.
The resumption of negotiations follows Hamas’s acceptance of a ceasefire proposal put forward by Egyptian and Qatari mediators.
Previous attempts to broker a truce have faltered, partly due to Hamas’s insistence on a lasting ceasefire and Netanyahu’s commitment to eliminating remaining fighters in Rafah. Despite the challenges, efforts to secure the release of hostages have been ongoing, with families of the captives advocating for a swift resolution to the crisis.
In a bid to exert pressure on Israel, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum has reached out to ambassadors of countries with citizens among the captives, urging them to support efforts to facilitate the safe return of their loved ones. “This is the time to exert your influence on the Israeli government and all other parties concerned to ensure that the agreement comes through which will finally bring all our loved ones home,” the message said.
According to Israeli officials, talks were due to take place later Tuesday.
Since October 7, Israel’s relentless bombardment campaign has killed at least 34,789 Palestinian people in Gaza, mostly women and children, according to the Hamas-run territory’s health ministry.
