The Gaza death toll rose over 2,000 yesterday as the clock ticked towards a midnight deadline and Israeli and Palestinian negotiators in Cairo strove to hammer out a decisive end to weeks of bloodshed.
As millions in and around Gaza enjoyed an eighth day of calm brought on by two back-to-back truce agreements, tensions were once again on the rise ahead of a new deadline ending a five-day ceasefire which expires at 2100 GMT.
The aim was to broker a long-term arrangement to halt over a month of bloody fighting which erupted on July 8 although both sides have largely lowered their guns since August 4 thanks to a series of brief truce arrangements.
Ahead of the deadline, Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas was scheduled to travel to Doha to meet with exiled Hamas chief Khaled Meshaal Tuesday and also hold talks with the Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani. Qatar is a key backer of Hamas, the de facto rulers of Gaza.
On Monday, the Palestinian Ma’an News Agency reported, quoting Palestinian officials, that the Israeli and Palestinian teams had signed an outline ceasefire agreement that details the issues that both sides have agreed to, and those that will be discussed in a second round of negotiations at a later date.
The Israeli team returned to Jerusalem for consultations at midnight. In the meeting, the Israelis would either approve or reject the proposal, it reports.
Palestinian sources close to the negotiations told Ynet that both sides were working on extending the temporary truce for a few days, beyond its midnight deadline, rather than signing a long-term ceasefire deal.
In an apparent attempt to pressure Hamas, Egypt said it would co-host an international fundraising conference for Gaza, but only if a deal is reached, reports Fox News.
Since last week, Egypt has been hosting indirect talks between Israel and Hamas aimed at ending a devastating month-long war. But just hours before a temporary five-day truce was to expire at midnight, it remained unclear whether a long-term deal would be reached.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said Israel would only accept an agreement which contained “a clear answer” to its security needs, while Hamas has insisted there would be no deal without an end to Israel's eight-year blockade on Gaza.
Before Sunday’s cabinet meeting, Netanyahu said Israel would only accept a proposal for a long-term cease-fire if Israel’s security needs were met.
“If Hamas thinks it will cover up its military defeat with a diplomatic achievement, it’s mistaken. If it thinks that by taking potshots at us we will concede, it’s mistaken,” he said.
US State Department Deputy Spokeswoman Marie Harf last night urged the Palestinians and Israel not to resume fire, Army Radio reports.
She said the US was hoping that the Palestinians and Israel would reach an agreement for a long-term ceasefire. “If there is no permanent arrangement, the US will call on both sides to extend the current lull and continue talks,” she said.
Meanwhile, Gaza's Health Ministry said the death toll rose to over 2,000 as more people succumbed to injuries sustained since the fighting began. The figures showed 2,016 people had been killed and another 10,196 wounded.
Among the dead were 541 children, 250 women and 95 elderly men – accounting for around 44 percent of the total number of victims.
Separately, the Israeli army confirmed that five of 64 soldiers killed in combat had died as a result of “friendly fire.”