Israel opposes return of displaced Palestinians to northern Gaza ‘without conditions’: Report

Israeli Channel 12 indicated on Saturday that the delegation would return to Israel on Saturday evening.

It clarified that the return of delegation members to Israel might indicate a lack of progress in talks.

During discussions in Doha, the delegation stipulated that in the first stage of an exchange deal, 40 hostages from all categories should be released alive, according to the channel.

Israel proposed a limited return of 2,000 displaced Palestinians daily to northern Gaza, two weeks after a cease-fire would start.

The channel noted the rejection by the delegation, led by Mossad chief David Barnea, of a request by Hamas to release 30 Palestinian prisoners sentenced to life, in exchange for every female soldier. The delegation offered five in return for their release.

According to Channel 12, as part of talks in the Qatari capital, Israel demanded the return of the bodies of Hadar Goldin and Oron Shaul, who were captured in Gaza in 2014, in exchange for the release of Palestinian prisoners who were released in a deal in 2011 for captured Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit and were re-arrested.

Israel holds in its prisons at least 9,100 Palestinians, according to Palestinian official sources, while the number of Israeli hostages held in Gaza remains unclear due to Hamas’ refusal to disclose the figure “without a hefty price”.

While Israeli media speaks of between 240 and 253 Israeli hostages, including three who were released by Israel and 105 who were released by Hamas during an exchange deal last November, the Palestinian movement speaks of the killing of 70 others due to Israeli shelling.

Israel has launched a deadly military offensive on the Gaza Strip since an Oct. 7 attack by Hamas which Tel Aviv said killed less than 1,200 people.

More than 32,100 Palestinians have since been killed and over 74,500 injured amid mass destruction and shortages of necessities.

Israel has also imposed a crippling blockade on the Gaza Strip, leaving its population, particularly residents of northern Gaza, on the verge of starvation.

The Israeli war has pushed 85% of Gaza’s population into internal displacement amid acute shortages of food, clean water and medicine, while 60% of the enclave’s infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.

Israel is accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice. An interim ruling in January ordered Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.

The Hamas movement has also warned against “misinformation” being released regarding the ongoing Qatar-hosted truce talks.

Hamas’s political bureau official Bassem Naim said that during the talks the Israelis have insisted on focusing only on the release of captives and have been unwilling to discuss Hamas’s three demands – a permanent end to the war, “total withdrawal” from Gaza and the return of displaced people to their homes.

“Hamas has clearly told the mediators that we cannot accept negotiating any prisoner deal unless the Israelis give these guarantees,” Naim told Al Jazeera on Saturday.

Naim added it was “shocking” that the latest Israeli proposals retract points previously agreed on at prior talks.

“Now suddenly, the Israelis are rejecting these. We believe it is not about a ceasefire, it is about Netanyahu using the negotiations as a cover to gain more time to continue his plans for the complete bombardment of the rest of the Gaza Strip, including Rafah, and to relieve international pressure,” stated Naim.

“We told the negotiators tonight we’re not ready to discuss any further proposals. There are talks between the Israelis and the negotiators. There are no talks with us. It is up to the superpower Americans and Europeans to exercise more pressure on Netanyahu not endanger the whole region and undermine any chance of long-term stability, security and prosperity.”