A series of explosions were heard and heavy smoke rose in Gaza, as seen from southern Israel on Saturday as sources said talks seeking a ceasefire were stalling.
The explosions followed each other and filled the sky with plumes of black smoke that streaked across the horizon.
Talks were said to be faltering over the extent of Israeli forces’ withdrawal from the Palestinian enclave, although indirect talks over a US proposal for a 60-day ceasefire are nonetheless expected to continue, the sources said.
Hamas has long demanded an agreement to end the war before it would free remaining hostages; Israel has insisted it would end the fighting only when all hostages are released and Hamas is dismantled as a fighting force and administration in Gaza.
The war began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas-led militants stormed into Israel, killing about 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages into Gaza. At least 20 of the remaining 50 hostages there are believed to still be alive.
Israel’s campaign against Hamas has killed more than 57,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health authorities, displaced almost the entire population of more than 2 million people, sparked a humanitarian crisis and left much of the territory in ruins.
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