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Gaza mediators working to bridge gaps in talks

July 16, 2025 00:00:00


Palestinian children queue for a portion of hot food distributed by a charity kitchen at the Nuseirat refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip on Tuesday — AFP

DUBAI, July 15 (AFP/AP): Mediators are pursuing "innovative mechanisms" to bridge the gaps between Israeli and Hamas delegations after a week of Gaza truce talks in Qatar, an official with knowledge of the negotiations told AFP on Monday.

The indirect talks had appeared deadlocked over the weekend, with each side accusing the other of staking out positions that prevented a deal from being reached.

"Mediators are actively exploring innovative mechanisms to help bridge the remaining gaps and maintain momentum in the negotiations," the official said, requesting anonymity to discuss sensitive matters.

The talks in Doha were focused "on the proposed maps for the redeployment of Israeli forces within Gaza", the official added.

On Saturday, Palestinian sources told AFP that Israel's proposals for keeping troops in the territory were preventing progress towards a deal.

Egypt's head of intelligence, Hassan Mahmoud Rashad, was also in Doha for the talks, meeting with Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani to discuss "ways to coordinate the efforts of the mediators to advance the negotiation process", an official with knowledge of his visit said.

UN-backed team focusing on human

rights in Palestinian areas to resign

A team of three independent experts working for the U.N.'s top human rights body with a focus on Israel and Palestinian areas say they are resigning, citing personal reasons and a need for change.

The resignations, announced Monday by the U.N.-backed Human Rights Council that set up the team, come as violence continues in Palestinian areas and few signs of letup in the Israeli military campaign against Hamas and other militants behind the Oct. 7 attacks.

The Israeli government has repeatedly criticized the panel of experts, known as the Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory and Israel, and denied their repeated requests to travel to the region or otherwise cooperate with the team.

Navi Pillay, a former U.N. human rights chief who has led the commission for the last four years.


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