Israel to send delegation for Gaza ceasefire talks: Official

Jerusalem, July 4 (IANS) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has approved the dispatch of a delegation for negotiations on a ceasefire deal with the Hamas in Gaza and the release of hostages, a senior Israeli official said on Thursday.

Israel's decision to take part in the talks, which are likely to take place in Egypt or Qatar, came a day after the Qatari and Egyptian mediators, backed by the United States, delivered Hamas' response to a proposed deal to Israel, Xinhua news agency reported.

"After a preliminary discussion, Prime Minister Netanyahu approved sending the negotiating delegation," the official said, speaking on conditions of anonymity.

The source reiterated that Israel would agree that "the war will end only after it has achieved all its goals -- and not a moment before".

Also on Thursday, Israel's state-owned Kan TV news reported that government officials voiced "optimism" about the chances of reaching a deal, describing Hamas' response as "the best" since the beginning of the indirect negotiations.

Hamas said on Wednesday that it consulted with the Qatari and Egyptian mediators about the proposed deal.

"We exchanged some ideas with the mediator brothers to stop the aggression against our Palestinian people," the group said in a statement.

The recent development marks a renewed effort to negotiate an end to the nearly nine-month-long conflict, which, according to the Gaza-based health authorities, has resulted in the deaths of more than 38,000 Palestinians in the enclave.

Israel launched a massive offensive in the Gaza Strip following a Hamas rampage through the southern Israeli border on Oct. 7, 2023, during which about 1,200 people were killed and around 250 others were taken hostage.

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