Fed mantém juros pela quarta reunião consecutiva. Continua a ver dois cortes este ano

[PMP69]

Penso que ouvi algures que os pagers tinham sido entregues ainda este ano (fevereiro?) salvo erro, mas posso estar equivocado.

Também já li isso, mas também li que uma remessa chegou recentemente ao Líbano.

Como já ouvi que possam ter um tipo de malware instalado e uma carga explosiva, mas também já ouvi que foram bloqueados por Israel, levando ao seu sobrequecimento, transformando-os em dispositivos explosivos improvisados.

Uma coisa deve ser certa, Israel é muito forte na guerra electrónica e a Unidade 8200 deve estar metida.

O embaixador iraniano no Líbano também terá sido ferido.

https://x.com/Faytuks/status/1836038889179390199?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1836038889179390199%7Ctwgr%5Eb1b6ef93d74401bc39d64b47fd7c199e291af175%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.twz.com%2Fnews-features%2Fhezbollahs-exploding-pagers-could-be-as-monumental-a-cyber-espionage-operation-as-stuxnet

https://x.com/Osint613/status/1836029978334380127?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1836029978334380127%7Ctwgr%5Eb1b6ef93d74401bc39d64b47fd7c199e291af175%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.twz.com%2Fnews-features%2Fhezbollahs-exploding-pagers-could-be-as-monumental-a-cyber-espionage-operation-as-stuxnet


Pedro

[Opcard33]

Na verdade depois de ouvir e ler várias opiniões, uns dizem que foi uma mensagem que acionou a explosão , outros foi por sinal rádio , uns dizem que foi a bateria a explodir , outras foram explosivos para uns 1 grama já outros seriam 20 gr .

Na verdade eu depois de ouvir os especialistas fiquei na mesma não sei como foi .

[MarcoAntonio]

Penso que ouvi algures que os pagers tinham sido entregues ainda este ano (fevereiro?) salvo erro, mas posso estar equivocado.

Quanto à detonação, creio que foi executado com o envio de mensagens.

[Opcard33]

Isto foi planeado e executado num curto espaço de tempo para evitar o risco de um ter rebento o daria um alerta para todos os outros .

[Carrancho_]

Impressionante isso, como conseguiram meter essas "bombas" no bolso dos inimigos e como as explodiram todas em simultâneo. Isso é mesmo outro nível de guerra. A preparação de algo assim deve ter levado muito tempo, certamente bem antes do 07 de outubro.

[Opcard33]

Nunca nada parecido aconteceu numa guerra é de ficção .

« Imagens que circulam nas redes sociais mostram homens com as mãos ensanguentadas, quando não estão amputadas. Outros, no chão, jazem em seu sangue com ferimentos profundos na cabeça, virinha ou costas. De acordo com depoimentos divulgados nas redes sociais, alguns proprietários dessas máquinas teriam sentido que eles esquentassem de repente e se livraram deles antes de explodirem

https://www.lefigaro.fr/international/g ... n-20240917

[PMP69]

https://twitter.com/sentdefender/status/1836113607572230358

Pedro

[MarcoAntonio]

Ainda não é claro como isto aconteceu, nomeadamente se o ataque/operação envolveu software e/ou hardware.

Hezbollah leaders killed, thousands of people injured in pager explosions in Lebanon, Syria

Hundreds of handheld pagers exploded in Lebanon and parts of Syria on Tuesday, killing several people, including members of the militant group Hezbollah, and wounding thousands, officials said.

Hezbollah and government officials are saying Israel is responsible for the attack, which wounded about 2,700 people, The Associated Press reported.

The Israeli military declined to comment when reached by the AP and Reuters.

The pager attack killed at least eight people, including at least two Hezbollah members and a young girl.

Iranian state-run IRNA news agency said Mojtaba Amani, the country’s ambassador, was slightly wounded and being treated at a hospital.

The wave of explosions continued for around an hour after the first detonations, which took place at about 3:45 p.m. local time. It’s not immediately clear how the devices were detonated, but the pagers are how Hezbollah communicates, Reuters reported.

A Hezbollah official who spoke anonymously with the AP said the explosions were a result of “a security operation” that targeted the devices.

People were seen lying on the pavement with wounds on their hands or near their pants pockets, where the devices were.

In the past, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah warned the group’s members not to carry cellphones because Israel could track them to carry out strikes, the AP reported.

The attack comes at a time of heightened tensions between Lebanon and Israel. Since the start of Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah and Israeli forced have continually clashed.

The Lebanese foreign ministry said the explosions Tuesday were a “dangerous and deliberate Israeli escalation.” The pager attack is being viewed as Israel following up on its “threats to expand the war towards Lebanon on a large scale,” according to Reuters.

Cease-fire efforts in Gaza remain deadlocked, more than 11 months after the war began. The United States and other allied countries continue to look to broker a deal between Israel and Hamas before it expands into a regional war.

[PMP69]

Forças de Operações Especiais da Força Aérea israelita (Shaldag - Unidade 5101), atacaram e destruiram istalações na Síria (noroeste) usadas pelo Irão para a produção de mísseis. Foram aerotransportadas por helicóptero e recolheram diversos materiais.

Foi uma operação pouco comum, pois foi feita a mais de 200 kms do território israelita.

https://x.com/cj_chep/status/1833061207374528906?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1833061207374528906%7Ctwgr%5E4918ac17ca8fdbc991eae73f05ceb49d6d207045%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.twz.com%2Fnews-features%2Fisraeli-commando-raid-in-syria-sends-a-message-to-iran-that-its-on-underground-bases-are-not-untouchable

https://x.com/BarakRavid/status/1834247953524965745?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1834247953524965745%7Ctwgr%5E4918ac17ca8fdbc991eae73f05ceb49d6d207045%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.twz.com%2Fnews-features%2Fisraeli-commando-raid-in-syria-sends-a-message-to-iran-that-its-on-underground-bases-are-not-untouchable


Pedro

[PMP69]

The White House has stated that they Totally Condemn today’s Pro-Hamas Demonstration in New York City, where Terrorist Supporters were seen flying the Flags of Hamas, Hezbollah, as well as several other International Terrorist Organizations, all while Hundreds if not Thousands were chanting Anti-Semitic and Islamist Slogans.

O que dirão as autoridades portuguesas sobre a presença de uma delegação da FPLP (Frente Popular de Libertação da Palestina) na Quinta da Atalaia, no próximo fim de semana.

https://x.com/sentdefender/status/1830769993522246015

Pedro

[MarcoAntonio]

Benjamin Netanyahu doubles down on Gaza strategy as he seeks to ride out latest storm

Israeli prime minister remains defiant over hostage deal with Hamas despite general strike and mass protests



When Israel’s powerful trade union federation called a general strike last year in an effort to stop Benjamin Netanyahu’s plans for a controversial judicial overhaul, he was forced to delay the project — his first concession in a bitter battle in which he had ignored months of mass protests.

But if his opponents hoped history would repeat itself on Monday, they were disappointed. Faced with another strike and huge protests calling for him to do a deal to free the Israeli hostages held by Hamas, even if it meant ending the war with the militant group, Netanyahu doubled down.

In a defiant press conference on Monday night, the Israeli prime minister insisted that the war would only end “when Hamas no longer rules Gaza”, and repeated his refusal to withdraw troops from the border between Gaza and Egypt, which is widely seen as one of the main obstacles to a deal.

“When we have our boot on [Hamas’s] skull, that’s when they want us to make concessions?” he said of those who oppose his stance. “When [Hamas] understands we’re not ending the war, they’ll give in.”


(...)

Artigo completo (FT)

[PMP69]

Se o mundo se vergar e ceder aos terror é uma mensagem assustadora, a Europa resistiu Exército Republicano Irlandês (IRA), o grupo nacionalista basco ETA, na Espanha, as Brigadas Vermelhas, na Itália, a Fração do Exército Vermelho (RAF), na Alemanha, Acção direta em França , FP 25 de abril em Portugal …houve mais de 800 ataques terroristas ,mas o princípio foi na ceder e foi assim que se derrotou o terror.

Em Portugal não foi bem assim, Otelo Saraiva de Carvalho, Mouta Liz e Pedro Goulart, são prova disso.

Quando em 1983 o Gen. Ramalho Eanes condecorou o Otelo, já todos sabiam que era fundador e lider do Projeto Global. Em 1996, Mário Soares promulga a Lei nº 9/96, que branqueia as FP-25.

Pedro

[Opcard]

Se o mundo se vergar e ceder aos terror é uma mensagem assustadora, a Europa resistiu Exército Republicano Irlandês (IRA), o grupo nacionalista basco ETA, na Espanha, as Brigadas Vermelhas, na Itália, a Fração do Exército Vermelho (RAF), na Alemanha, Acção direta em França , FP 25 de abril em Portugal …houve mais de 800 ataques terroristas ,mas o princípio foi na ceder e foi assim que se derrotou o terror.

[Lusitanus]

Se reféns israelitas voltarem a serem mortos pelo Hamas, pouco tempo antes dos militares israelitas chegarem até eles, Netanyahu conseguirá manter-se no cargo de primeiro-ministro?

[MarcoAntonio]

A pressão cresce em Israel para um acordo, depois do caso dos 6 refens mortos (os reféns foram mortos pouco antes das forças israelitas chegarem a eles, o que é problemático por várias razões).

Hostage deaths build pressure on Netanyahu for Hamas deal

Há quem opine que nem o Governo de Israel nem o Hamas estão realmente interessados nas negociações. As sondagens recentes entre os israelitas têm indicado que a maioria dos israelitas prefere um acordo à continuação das operações.


Two-thirds of Israelis back hostage deal over continuing war in Gaza (The Times of Israel)

Most Israelis support hostage deal to end Gaza war, new poll shows (The Jerusalem Post)

[PMP69]

O refém Qaid Farhan Alkadi (Beduíno israelita) de 52 anos foi resgatado pelas IDF.

https://x.com/IDF/status/1828437947361689871

Pedro

[PMP69]

Uma das maiores presenças navais americanas no estrangeiro.



Pedro

[PMP69]

NYT e Casa Branca sempre muito próximos.

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/20/us/politics/biden-nuclear-china-russia.html





Pedro

[MarcoAntonio]

Cease-fire talks approach breaking point as Hamas, Israel trade blame

U.S. efforts to broker a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas showed little progress Tuesday, as Hamas publicly pushed back on President Biden’s criticism that the designated terrorist group was holding back on agreeing to the terms of the deal that Washington is working to finalize this week.

In a statement released to Telegram, Hamas said it “followed with great astonishment and disapproval” Biden’s statements Monday night accusing the group of backing away from talks.

Hamas criticized Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken of “misleading claims”; the terrorist group said it “is keen to reach a cessation of aggression,” but that the U.S. was negotiating with bias in favor of Israel.

Biden told reporters in Chicago following his speech at the Democratic National Convention that “Hamas was now backing off,” and that the U.S. is “going to keep pushing” to achieve a cease-fire deal.

The president’s remarks followed Blinken publicly calling for Hamas to accept a U.S.-led “bridging proposal” to finalize the terms of the cease-fire.

Blinken is in the region for talks with Israeli, Egyptian and Qatari officials to conclude negotiations on a multiphase cease-fire agreement that would halt more than 10 months of war.

The cease-fire broadly calls for an immediate six-week truce, for Hamas to release hostages it kidnapped from Israel during its Oct. 7 terrorist attack and for Israel to release Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.

On Monday night, Blinken left Israel, saying that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had accepted a U.S.-led “bridging proposal” to finalize the terms of the cease-fire. The office of the Israeli prime minister released a statement Monday saying that Netanyahu “reiterated Israel’s commitment to the current American proposal on the release of our hostages, which takes into account Israel’s security needs.”

The secretary met Tuesday with Egyptian officials in Cairo and is next traveling to Doha to meet with Qatari officials, who serve as go-betweens in negotiations with Hamas.

Yet Hamas’s commitment to reaching a cease-fire agreement is unclear. The parties have failed to achieve a deal since November, with power concentrated in the hands of Hamas’s top leader Yahya Sinwar, who is believed to be hiding underground in Gaza.

Sinwar, described by a U.S. official as “messianic” and a “psychopath,” reportedly views the ongoing war as a benefit in isolating Israel internationally over the deaths of tens of thousands of Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip, widespread destruction and a humanitarian crisis.

(...)

The Hill

[MarcoAntonio]

Hamas denies ‘backing off’ from Gaza ceasefire talks

Joe Biden claimed militant group was cooling on deal to end war and free hostages


Hamas has rejected President Joe Biden’s claim that it is “backing off” from a ceasefire-for-hostage deal, while insisting that the US is yielding to Israel’s interests in crunch negotiations.

A statement from the militant group on Tuesday stopped short of outright rejection of a compromise proposal drawn up by mediators, but underlined the daunting challenges that remained to secure a deal to end the war in Gaza.

Biden’s chief diplomat Antony Blinken declared on Monday that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had supported a so-called bridging text, which aimed to resolve outstanding points of dispute.

People familiar with the latest talks said they had focused on the question of Israel’s presence on the border between Egypt and Gaza, known as the Philadelphi corridor, which has emerged as one of the main sticking points.

But Biden later on Monday said that while a potential deal — which the US and Arab states see as the best way of avoiding a regional war in the Middle East — was “still in play”, he had been told “Hamas is now backing off”.

Hamas responded on Tuesday that it was “astonished” by Biden’s comments and accused the US, which along with Qatar and Egypt has been mediating the months-long ceasefire talks, of being biased towards Israel.

“[Biden’s remarks] do not reflect the true position of the movement, which is keen to reach a cessation of aggression,” Hamas said.

The US last week put forward a bridging proposal, based on a three-stage ceasefire plan set out by Biden in May, aimed at overcoming the gaps that remain between Israel and Hamas over the terms of any deal.

Biden’s original three-stage plan specified that Israel would withdraw from the populated areas of Gaza in the first phase, and completely in the second phase.

But Netanyahu has in recent weeks insisted that Israeli forces remain in the Philadelphi corridor — a demand repeatedly rejected by Hamas, which has called the bridging proposal a “coup” against terms it had previously agreed.

A diplomat briefed on the talks said the bridging proposal included a reduced Israeli presence in the corridor but that key details remained to be finalised.

“It’s not clear what the timeframe is for the presence or what reduced presence means and whether they continue to control exit and entry through Rafah,” the diplomat said.

Another point of contention is the terms under which the Palestinian prisoners due to be exchanged for the Israeli hostages will be released. The diplomat said Netanyahu was demanding that Israel could veto a large number from being freed, and wanted some to be released only in exile.

Blinken was in Cairo on Tuesday for talks with Egyptian officials, including President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi. He is due to visit Doha this week.

FT

[MarcoAntonio]

US says Israel accepts latest Gaza cease-fire deal, putting onus on Hamas

Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accepted a final, bridging proposal to finalize a cease-fire deal in the Gaza Strip and put the onus on Hamas to bring the agreement to a close.

“In a very constructive meeting with Prime Minister Netanyahu today, he confirmed to me that Israel accepts the bridging proposal, that he supports it,” Blinken said during a press conference from the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem.

“It’s now incumbent on Hamas to do the same.”

The U.S., along with mediators from Egypt and Qatar, is working to reach a cease-fire deal between Israel and Hamas by the end of the week, one that would seek to bring to an end more than 10 months of war that have wracked the Middle East, triggered by Hamas’s Oct. 7 attack on Israel.

An estimated 40,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israel in the subsequent war, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry in the Gaza Strip, but which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants.

But Hamas has generally rejected the statements coming out of the cease-fire talks over the past few weeks. The group, which is designated as a terrorist organization by the U.S., said it had agreed to a cease-fire proposal laid out on July 2, but it accused Netanyahu of putting up new conditions that made it impossible for it to accept.

Among Hamas’s demands include agreement on a permanent cease-fire and comprehensive withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip – conditions that were not included in the cease-fire framework first proposed by President Biden on May 31.

Blinken raised doubts on Hamas’s public statements and apparent rejections of where cease-fire talks currently stand.

“We’ve seen public statements before that don’t fully reflect where Hamas is,” Blinken said.

“The critical next step is for Hamas to accept the bridging proposal that Prime Minister Netanyahu has now accepted, and then to engage with everyone else on making sure that we have clear understandings of how each party would actually implement the commitments that it’s undertaken in this agreement.”

The terms of the cease-fire deal between Israel and Hamas are generally laid out to begin with a six-week truce that would require Hamas to release hostages it kidnapped from Israel on Oct. 7 during its attack and for Israel to release Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails.

During this time, the U.S. and partners are expected to dramatically scale up delivery of humanitarian assistance to Palestinian’s in the Gaza Strip. Throughout the six-week truce, the U.S., Qatar and Egypt are expected to mediate more negotiations between Israel and Hamas for a permanent end to the war.

Blinken said there is a “real sense of urgency” in Israel and across the region for the need to get the cease-fire deal across the finish line, as fighting has escalated across multiple fronts.

Hamas took credit on Sunday for a suicide-bombing in Tel Aviv that injured one person, and warned of bringing these “operations … to the forefront.” This followed spiraling violence in the West Bank, with the Israeli government condemning attacks by extremist Israeli settlers on a Palestinian village, killing one person.

Israel and Hezbollah and Lebanon continue to trade rocket fire over Lebanon’s southern border, as a broader Iranian attack against Israel looms — in retaliation for the alleged Israeli assassination of a top Hamas political leader in Tehran on July 31.

The U.S. has dispatched significant military resources to the Middle East to help defend Israel in case of an Iranian attack, with Blinken warning on Monday against all parties from taking actions that would escalate conflict.

“What’s most crucial now is that everyone,” he paused and stressed again, “everyone, refrain from taking any actions that could fuel further conflict, escalate tensions and result in the spreading of violence and conflict.”

Benjamin Netanyahu backs ceasefire compromise proposal, says Antony Blinken

US secretary of state notes progress in talks despite Hamas rejecting so-called ‘bridging’ text

The US said it had made progress towards a Gaza ceasefire-for-hostages deal on Monday, saying Benjamin Netanyahu had accepted a “bridging proposal” that aimed to resolve differences between Israel and Hamas.

Antony Blinken’s upbeat assessment came after the US secretary of state held three hours of talks with the Israeli prime minister in a bid to advance long-stagnant negotiations aimed at ending the 10-month war in Gaza and securing the release of more than 100 Israeli hostages.

Speaking after meetings that he described as “maybe the last opportunity” to avoid a regional escalation, Blinken said Netanyahu had given him important assurances after a “very constructive meeting”.

“[Netanyahu] confirmed to me that Israel accepts the bridging proposal, that he supports it,” Blinken said. “It’s now incumbent on Hamas to do the same . . . The next important step is for Hamas to say yes.”

Blinken’s visit to the region comes three days after the US, Qatar and Egypt set out a proposal at talks in Doha aimed at finalising a three-stage deal that aims to halt the fighting and release the hostages. The details of their so-called bridging proposal have not been made public.

Hamas has accused Netanyahu of seeking to sabotage the deal after he added new conditions to a proposal the militant group favoured in July that was based on a plan endorsed by US President Joe Biden.

The group said the proposal put forward by the mediators in Doha last week contained changes that took account of Israeli demands but not of Hamas’s and did “not allow for reaching an agreement”.

After Blinken’s remarks, Netanyahu issued a statement thanking the US for its “understanding” of Israel’s position. But he also emphasised another recent demand: that the maximum number of “living hostages” be released “already in the first stage of the deal”.

There was no reference to Israel accepting the bridging proposal.

The US has previously expressed optimism over an imminent breakthrough, only to have them stall amid persistent differences between the two which have been at war since Hamas’s October 7 attack.

Blinken said follow-on talks would continue ahead of another expected meeting in Cairo later this week.

He added that both Israel and Hamas, if they were to agree, would “have to come together [via the mediators] and complete the process of reaching clear understandings about how they’ll implement the commitments that they have made under this agreement”.

The positive note that Blinken struck on his ninth visit to the region since October 7 came as a surprise, after both Netanyahu and Hamas had appeared to stiffen their respective positions on Sunday.

Before Blinken’s meeting with Netanyahu, people briefed on talks said that mediators were at best cautiously optimistic about the chances of progress, with the Israeli prime minister seemingly refusing to soften his demands.

It was not clear if Netanyahu watered down his conditions in his talks with Blinken.

One of the main sticking points has been Netanyahu’s insistence that Israel would not withdraw from the Gaza-Egypt border area known as the Philadelphi corridor, along with other demands introduced in recent weeks.

Netanyahu’s conditions differed from a draft plan unveiled by Biden in late May, which was initially endorsed by Israel and envisaged Israeli forces withdrawing from populated areas of Gaza in the first stage of the agreement and completely in the second stage.

Egypt, one of the mediators, also opposes Israel keeping forces along the Philadelphi corridor, according to diplomats. On Sunday, Netanyahu said Israel was conducting negotiations and “not a scenario in which we just give and give”.

The US and its allies have intensified pressure on both Israel and Hamas to get a deal over the line in the hope of preventing the Gaza war from spiralling into a full-blown regional conflict.

But Netanyahu also faces pressure from far-right allies in his governing coalition not to end the war against Hamas or make concessions to the Palestinians.

Regional tensions have soared after Iran and its Lebanese proxy Hizbollah pledged to retaliate against Israel for the assassinations of two senior militants late last month.

During his trip, Blinken highlighted the huge build-up of US forces in the region to deter Iran and Hizbollah and defend Israel if it is attacked.

Blinken said there is “a real sense of urgency” in Israel and across the region on “the need to get this over the finish line and to do it as soon as possible”.

[PMP69]

Continuo a achar impossível um cessar fogo e principalmente a saída de Israel de Gaza, mas se isso acontecer, ficarei muito feliz por estar errado.

https://twitter.com/inbarspace/status/1824376516362506577?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1824376516362506577%7Ctwgr%5Ef14614270cd9596365965badd5264f704dccb993%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.twz.com%2Fair%2Fhezbollah-touts-rocket-cave-network-capable-of-underground-launches

https://twitter.com/clashreport/status/1824365368653095114


Pedro

[MarcoAntonio]

Terminaram para já os dois dias de conversações entre Israel e os mediadores. Não é claro se houve algum avanço. Pelo menos, ainda não foi abortado, deverá continuar na próxima semana.

White House: Gaza cease-fire talks to extend into next week

Cease-fire talks between Israel and Hamas will extend into next week, with the goal of concluding the deal, the U.S., Egypt and Qatar said in a joint statement on Friday.

Mediators from the three governments presented to the warring parties a “bridging proposal” to overcome gaps in the cease-fire deal, with the goal of setting up by next week an agreement on all sides to implement the deal as soon as possible.

Talks over the course of two days in Doha, Qatar, were “serious and constructive” and “conducted in a positive atmosphere,” the joint statement read.

The update from the White House seeks to demonstrate that President Biden is moving forward on halting the 10-month fight between Israel and Hamas, which would bring significant relief to Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and secure the release of dozens of hostages held by Hamas since they were kidnapped from southern Israel during the Oct. 7 terrorist attack.

The U.S. pursuit of a cease-fire is also viewed as an effort to hold back Iran from launching an attack on Israel in retaliation for the alleged killing of Hamas’s top political leader, Ismael Haniyeh, in Tehran on July 31.

Biden, speaking to reporters on Tuesday, said it was his expectation that Iran would hold off attacking Israel to allow cease-fire talks to proceed.

Biden acknowledged earlier this week that efforts to secure the cease-fire were “getting harder” but that he was “not giving up.” The latest round of talks builds on more than two months of intensive diplomacy. Biden first introduced the framework for the cease-fire terms on May 31, and they were endorsed by the United Nations Security Council.

Hamas has accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of changing the goal posts of the deal, and there’s been concern in Israel and the U.S. that Netanyahu is making certain demands that are dragging out the talks.

Still, Hamas has made public declarations that are inconsistent with the terms of the deal, such as calling for a guarantee of a permanent end to the war — where the provision in the deal lays out a permanent end will be achieved through negotiation.

“Any agreement must achieve a comprehensive ceasefire, a complete withdrawal from Gaza, the return of the displaced and the reconstruction, in addition to a prisoner exchange deal,” Husam Badran, member of Hamas’s political bureau said in a statement on Telegram on Thursday.

[MarcoAntonio]

Gaza ceasefire talks get underway in Doha

- Spy chiefs in Doha for fresh Gaza talks

- Mediators to consult Hamas negotiators

- Gaza agreement seen as key to avoiding broader war


DOHA/CAIRO, Aug 15 (Reuters) - A new round of Gaza ceasefire talks was underway in the Qatari capital Doha on Thursday afternoon, an official briefed on the meeting told Reuters, with Israel's spy chief joining his U.S. and Egyptian counterparts and Qatar's prime minister for the closed-door meeting.

The talks, an effort to end 10 months of fighting in the Palestinian enclave and bring 115 Israeli and foreign hostages home, were put together as Iran appeared on the point of retaliating against Israel following the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran on July 31.

With U.S. warships, submarines and warplanes dispatched to the region to defend Israel and deter potential attackers, Washington is hoping a ceasefire agreement in Gaza can defuse the risk of a full-out wider regional war.

Hamas officials, who have accused Israel of stalling, did not join Thursday's talks. However mediators planned to consult with Hamas' Doha-based negotiating team after the meeting, the official briefed on the talks told Reuters.

(...)

[MarcoAntonio]

Depois de ter sido noticiado que o Hamas não iria participar, agora circula que vão estar presentes (via mediadores). As negociações, a ocorrer, não se darão directamente entre representantes de Israel e Hamas mas com mediadores.

As expectativas não são elevadas para estas conversações, mas vamos ver. O Irão parece estar a fazer um compasso de espera a ver o que sai disto antes de retaliar, como tinha ameaçado há dias.