A six-week ceasefire is on the cards in the ongoing war between Hamas and Israel after both sides communicated to the mediators on stepping down from their earlier demands.
While Hamas has agreed to climb down from the demand for a permanent end of the war to a pause for six weeks, Israel has almost agreed to release 1000 Palestinian prisoners including 100 charged with grievous crimes including murder.
There were a series of meetings in Doha, Cairo, and Paris in the last two days with different negotiators brokering a truce between Israel and Hamas
Sources in Israeli intelligence agencies told IANS that Qatar has communicated to the Hamas leadership that it would “not hesitate to deport them from Qatar if they do not come down from unreasonable demands”.
According to sources, the strong position taken by Qatar and Egypt to prevent any Gazan refugees on its soil if Israel invades Rafah has acted as a trigger for Hamas to rework its earlier demands of a permanent ceasefire.
As per the available information, Hamas would release all Israeli prisoners including soldiers in exchange for 1000 Palestinian prisoners.
Israeli intelligence agencies have communicated to the government that of the 134 remaining Israeli hostages in Gaza, 32 have died.
Hamas, according to sources in the Israeli Prime Minister’s office, would release the remaining 102 hostages and send the bodies of 32 hostages in exchange for 1000 Palestinian prisoners. However, it is unclear whether all the hostages would be released in a single go or multiple slots.
Sudan violence: Indian embassy asks citizens to stay indoor in fresh advisory(grab)
This initial phase of diplomacy to establish a process to achieve a permanent cessation of hostilities.
The Trilateral Mechanism on Sudan, which brings together the African Union, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, and the UN, have called for the full implementation of the ceasefire in Sudan.
Members of the Trilateral Mechanism made the call in a joint statement along with the Quad on Sudan that brings together Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, the UK and the US, according to a joint statement issued on Friday.
“Members of the Trilateral Mechanism and the Quad welcome the announcement by the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) to extend the current ceasefire for an additional 72 hours and call for its full implementation,” the statement said.
They also welcomed the readiness of the two Sudanese warring factions to engage in dialogue toward establishing a more durable cessation of hostilities and ensuring unimpeded humanitarian access, Xinhua news agency reported.
People fleeing from Sudan arrive at a bus station in Aswan, Egypt, on April 25, 2023. Many people crossed into Egypt through the border crossing between Egypt and Sudan, as conflict in the latter country continues. (Photo by Radwan Abu Elmagd/Xinhua)
This initial phase of diplomacy to establish a process to achieve a permanent cessation of hostilities and humanitarian arrangements will contribute to action on the development of a de-escalation plan as outlined in the April 20 African Union release, the statement says.
Since mid-April, Sudan has been mired in military clashes between the Sudanese Army and the RSF following days of tension between the once-allied leaders of both sides.
The country has been suffering a political crisis since the Sudanese army commander Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan declared a state of emergency in October 2021 and dissolved the Sovereign Council as well as the government.
Monday’s talks, which lasted for nearly five hours, took place in Belarus near the Russian and the Ukrainian borders. The next round will take place on the border between Belarus and Poland in the coming days…reports Asian Lite News
Moscow and Kiev have found certain points that could be agreed upon during the ceasefire talks hosted by Belarus, and will return for consultations before the next round, both delegations told reporters after the talks ended on Monday, RT reported.
The main purpose of the talks was to discuss a ceasefire in Ukraine, said Mykhailo Podolyak, advisor to Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky.
The two sides have identified a number of priority topics, on which “certain solutions have been outlined”, he added.
The two delegations found points on which common positions could be reached, confirmed Vladimir Medinsky, aide to Russian President Vladimir Putin, RT reported.
Monday’s talks, which lasted for nearly five hours, took place in Belarus near the Russian and the Ukrainian borders. The next round will take place on the border between Belarus and Poland in the coming days, Medinsky said.
Ukraine’s delegation was led by Defence Minister Alexey Reznikov, and its main demand was an immediate ceasefire and withdrawal of all Russian troops from the country.
Zelensky said on Sunday that he didn’t really believe the negotiations would succeed, but thought they held “a chance, however small, to de-escalate the situation.”
While the talks were ongoing, Zelensky sent a formal request for Ukraine’s EU membership to Brussels.
Meanwhile, Russia has put its nuclear deterrent forces on highest alert amid NATO moves to send weapons to Kiev.
General Manoj Mukund Naravane says this is the first step on the long road to normalisation of ties between the two countries, reports Asian Lite News
Army chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane has said that the restoration of ceasefire in February between Indian and Pakistani militaries along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir is holding, has led to a significant drop in infiltration by terrorists from Pakistan and contributed to the overall sense of peace and well-being in border areas.
“This is the first step on the long road to normalisation of ties between the two countries. We would like the ceasefire to continue. It has definitely led to an improvement in the security situation and benefited civilians living in forward areas,” Naravane said.
In a surprise development, Indian and Pakistani militaries announced on February 25 that they had begun observing a ceasefire along the LoC from the midnight of February 24. India and Pakistan had agreed to a ceasefire on the LoC in November 2003, but it was frequently violated.
The army chief said the ceasefire violations by the neighbouring army were aimed at providing cover to infiltrators. No ceasefire violations by the Pakistan army indicated that infiltration attempts were not being supported, Naravane said.
“Counterterrorism operations will continue. We have no reason to believe that terror infrastructure along the LoC has been dismantled by the Pakistan army,” Naravane said.
India Pakistan border
Peace along the LoC is mutually beneficial, Naravane said. “The population living on either side suffers due to violence along the LoC. I am sure the Pakistan army is also concerned about the population and hopefully the ceasefire will hold,” the army chief said.
After February 24, there has been a solitary instance of cross-border firing along the international border in Jammu sector between the Border Security Force and Pakistan Rangers.
Of the 30 terrorists killed by security forces in Kashmir during the last three months, only one was a foreigner, said officials familiar with the developments. “It’s an indicator that infiltration by Pakistani terrorists has dropped notably. We will have to wait and watch how things unfold as three months is a short window to confirm a pattern,” said one of the officials.
The escalation in ceasefire violations coincided with the first anniversary of the Centre’s move in August 2019 to strip Jammu and Kashmir of its semi-autonomous status that Islamabad reacted sharply to.
‘Troops on high alert at LAC’
Naravane said that the troops are on high alert at Line of Actual Control (LAC), keeping a close watch on the activities of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army.
The army chief also pointed that India wants the status quo ante of April 2020 to be restored.
Naravane stated that India has made it clear to China that de-escalation will only be considered once disengagement is completed to the mutual satisfaction of both sides.
He said that Indian troops are on high alert and deployments have not thinned after the disengagement in Pangong Lake.
The army chief maintained that China has deployed around 50,000 to 60,000 troops in Eastern Ladakh in immediate depth, so India has also made mirror deployments in depth.
Naravane also said that India is keeping an eye on the developments on the Chinese side.
He said India is currently concentrating on resolving the outstanding problems at other friction points like Hot Springs, Gogra and Depsang along the LAC.
He also pointed out that India’s stand in the disengagement agreement in the Pangong Lake area remained the same, i.e., the status quo ante of April 2020 must be restored.
The army chief also stated that trust levels between the two countries are low, but pointed out that the trust deficit should not hinder the negotiation process.
The 12 rounds of military commander-level talks between India and China to resolve the border issue will take place soon. It has been delayed due to the surge in the number of Covid cases.
General Naravane recently reviewed the operational preparedness of the force along the borders with China in the Arunachal Pradesh region. He went to Dimapur in Nagaland on May 20 on a two-day visit to review the operational readiness along the northern borders of Arunachal Pradesh, and the security situation in the hinterlands of the Northeast region.
India and China are engaged in a year-long standoff along the LAC. The confrontations began on the north bank of Pangong Lake, both in the waters and the bank, as Chinese incursions increased in early May last year.
