Gaza War: Bombings in Various Areas and Talks in Cairo

1st December 2024

2 minutes read

Gaza War: Bombings in Various Areas and Talks in Cairo

On the 421st day of the war in Gaza, the Israeli army continued to target sites in the sector, while negotiations for a solution remain complicated.

Palestinian media reported on Saturday morning that Israeli artillery targeted the northern areas of Beit Lahia, in the northern Gaza Strip.

Israeli artillery also bombarded areas north of the Nusseirat refugee camp in the central part of the sector.

Earlier, Palestinian media reported that 18 Palestinians were killed in continuous Israeli shelling of Gaza since the early hours of Saturday morning.

Humanitarian Situation

The World Food Programme stated in a statement that the hunger crisis across Gaza is worsening, with the prices of essential goods rising by more than 1000%.

Trump Wants a Ceasefire

Yesterday, Senator Lindsey Graham (Republican from South Carolina) stated in an interview with the American website Axios that President-elect Donald Trump wants to see a ceasefire and a hostage agreement in Gaza before he takes office on January 20th.

Reaching an agreement on Gaza is one of U.S. President Joe Biden‘s top priorities during the last two months of his term.

Two Hamas leaders told Reuters late on Friday that a delegation from the movement would arrive in Cairo on Saturday for talks with Egyptian officials.

The visit comes just days after the United States announced it would begin new efforts with Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey to revive ceasefire talks in Gaza.

The current deadlock in negotiations, just weeks before Biden’s term ends, suggests that the issue of ending the war may fall to Trump, according to Axios.

Israeli officials believe the Trump administration might take a different approach to Gaza, specifically regarding “the day after” the war, according to the same source.

Graham, who frequently speaks with Trump and advises him on foreign policy, especially in the Middle East, said that Trump wants to reach an agreement to release the hostages and end the war as soon as possible, ideally before he assumes office.

There are still 101 hostages held by Hamas in Gaza, including seven American citizens. Israeli intelligence agencies believe that nearly half of them are still alive.

In contrast, more than 44,000 Palestinians have been killed during more than a year of war, according to the Ministry of Health in Gaza.