Gaza: Ceasefire talks restart in Cairo as Israel unleash mayhem on Rafah

Negotiations for a truce between Israel and Hamas in Gaza have restarted in Cairo, according to Egyptian media sources.

High-ranking officials from the US, Israel, Egypt, and Qatar are convening amidst mounting international pressure on Israel to halt its airstrikes on the southern Gaza city of Rafah.

Approximately 1.5 million residents are confined within this small border enclave, with concerns escalating over the possibility of an Israeli ground incursion.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dismissed Hamas’s ceasefire proposals last week as “unrealistic,” emphasizing that Israel will seek “complete victory” in Gaza within a matter of months.

Israel recently launched aggressive attacks on Rafah as it vowed to defeat Hamas fighters who are hiding there.

UN human rights chief Volker Türk earlier raised concerns that any attack on the city would be “terrifying” and many civilians “will likely be killed”.

US President Joe Biden also called for civilians in the area to be protected.

No fewer than 28,473 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and more than 68,000 wounded in Gaza since 7 October, according to the health ministry in the enclave.

While at least 1,200 people were killed during the Hamas-led attacks.