Middle East — Ekhbary News Agency
The intricate situation surrounding the Israel-Hamas conflict deepened today, as a senior Hamas official revealed uncertainty about the survival of 120 remaining hostages in Gaza. This statement, made to CNN, underscores the profound challenges in brokering a lasting peace deal.
Stalled Ceasefire Negotiations and Hamas Demands
Hamas spokesperson Osama Hamdan, a political bureau member, conveyed the militant group's firm stance from Beirut. He asserted that the latest proposal, publicly announced by US President Joe Biden, fails to meet their core demands. Hamas insists on a complete Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, a permanent ceasefire, and Palestinian self-determination for future governance and reconstruction, including lifting the siege. They remain open, as it stands, to discussing a fair prisoner exchange once these conditions are met. Negotiations, though recently intensified, faltered after Hamas presented its response twelve days post-receipt.
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US Rejects Houthi Espionage Claims Amid Regional Tensions
Separately, the US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller vehemently dismissed Houthi allegations concerning detained local US mission staff in Yemen. The Houthis claimed these individuals were part of an "American-Israeli spy network," purportedly recruited by the CIA for decades. Miller condemned the televised "forced and fake 'confessions'," labeling them as disinformation tactics designed to deflect blame for Houthi failures. Numerous Yemeni staff from the US Embassy in Sana'a, which suspended operations in 2015, have been held since October 2021, with additional UN personnel detained recently. Miller emphasized their immediate release, asserting their detention affronts diplomatic norms. Concurrently, a "hostile war plane" strike in southern Lebanon, approximately 12 miles north of the Israeli border, tragically killed at least one woman from a group of ten, according to local reports.
