[Today’s Prayer] Ceasefire negotiations in Gaza resume... “Disagreements between the parties remain significant.”

Negotiations for a ceasefire and hostage release in the Gaza Strip, which had been suspended for a while, resumed in Doha, Qatar, on the 15th (local time).

According to Reuters, AFP, and Al Jazeera, a Middle Eastern media outlet, a delegation from Israel and a delegation from mediating countries, including the United States, Egypt, and Qatar, met in Doha, Qatar, to negotiate a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and the release of hostages.

Hamas, a Palestinian armed political faction, did not participate in the meeting, but told mediators of the negotiations that it would be willing to meet at a later date to confirm Israel's response.

Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri said the previous day that he would not participate in the negotiations, saying, "Entering new negotiations would allow the occupying forces to come up with new conditions and plunge the negotiations into a maze, allowing them to commit more massacres."

The New York Times reported, “Hamas’ willingness to compromise is unclear,” adding, “They requested extensive revisions throughout the negotiations and conceded several small points in July.”

“Hamas officials said Hamas would not participate in new negotiations,” he added.

The 'extensive revisions' mentioned by the NYT are based on the 'three-stage ceasefire plan'. The three-stage ceasefire plan was proposed by U.S. President Joe Biden in a speech at the White House in May. If the Israeli army withdraws from populated areas in the Gaza Strip and a six-week ceasefire is entered into, Hamas kidnapped hostages will be exchanged for some Palestinian prisoners in Israel (step 1) contains the content.

Afterwards, if the ceasefire is permanently extended and all Hamas kidnapped hostages are released, the Israeli military will withdraw from the Gaza Strip (step 2), and the Gaza Strip, which has turned into ruins, will be rebuilt and the remains of the dead hostages will be handed over to the bereaved families (step 3). It continues.

“Any negotiations must be based on a clear plan to implement what was previously agreed upon,” Hussam Badran, a member of Hamas’ political bureau, said in a statement released before the negotiations. “We must achieve the repatriation of prisoners, the repatriation of displaced Palestinians, and negotiations on prisoner exchange,” he repeatedly emphasized.

The Biden ceasefire plan was adopted at an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council in June, and based on this, Israel and Hamas exchanged amendments containing their proposals last month.

However, on the 31st of last month, when Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh, who was visiting the capital Tehran to attend the inauguration ceremony of the Iranian president, was assassinated in his residence, the rapidly gaining ceasefire negotiations were halted again.

Accordingly, the leaders of the three countries, the United States, Egypt, and Qatar, issued a joint statement calling for the resumption of negotiations on the 8th, and the following day, Israel expressed its intention to return to the negotiating table, laying the foundation for the resumption of negotiations.

However, the prospect that it will be difficult to achieve a breakthrough through this meeting is gaining weight. John Kirby, National Security Communications Advisor to the U.S. White House National Security Council (NSC), expressed a positive stance at a briefing, saying, "The remaining obstacles can be overcome," but Egypt's state-run Al Qahera News TV quoted a source as saying, "There is no agreement between the parties." “Disagreements remain large,” the report said.

These negotiations are scheduled to continue until the 16th. A U.S. official told Reuters that "it was a productive day" regarding cease-fire negotiations and that talks would continue on the 16th.

Source: News

Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness. For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace. (Romans 6:13-14)

Amen!

Dear God, Nations are working toward a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, but an agreement is not being made easily. The Israelis and Palestinians are groaning in pain as the war rages on.

Lord, do not allow the two nations may to give themselves up to sin as a weapon of unrighteousness for retribution, but may they give themselves to God as a weapon of righteousness for the sake of God, who gave his Son for us!

We declare that sin has no more hold on the two peoples! The blood of Jesus Christ will set them free and bring them under grace! Let them rise up as an army to serve God, not for the kingdoms of the world, but for the kingdom of God!