Timeline of Recent Twists and Turns in Gaza Cease-fire Talks

Within the people of specified days, hopes for a cease-fire successful the Gaza Strip person been raised, dashed and raised again, with nary wide explanation.

The disorder was possibly ne'er much evident than connected Monday, erstwhile Hamas claimed to person accepted the presumption of a truce woody adjacent arsenic Israel — a week aft making concessions successful the anticipation of an statement — was ordering civilians successful the confederate Gazan metropolis of Rafah to evacuate and escalating its airstrikes there.

Here is simply a look astatine the caller dizzying crook of events.

Monday, April 29

Israeli officials, offering a hint of hope for a deal, said that their negotiators had reduced the fig of hostages they wanted Hamas to merchandise during the archetypal signifier of a truce.

Thursday, May 2

A Hamas person said that the radical would soon send a delegation to Cairo to “complete ongoing discussions” connected a cease-fire deal.

Saturday, May 4

With talks underway, a elder Hamas authoritative said successful a substance message that the group’s representatives had arrived successful Cairo for the talks, “with large positivity” toward the latest proposal.

Sunday, May 5

The talks — which are held indirectly, done mediators — hit an impasse, and Hamas said its delegation had near Cairo. An Israeli authoritative described the negotiations arsenic successful “crisis.”

Late successful the day, Hamas launched rockets astatine a borderline crossing betwixt Gaza and Israel, sidesplitting 4 Israeli soldiers. Israel stepped up its attacks successful Gaza.

Monday, May 6

Hamas said it accepted the presumption of a cease-fire — not arsenic laid retired successful Israel’s proposal, but drawn from 1 enactment distant by Egypt and Qatar.

The timing appeared noteworthy. The announcement was made aft Israel had ordered radical to evacuate from immoderate areas successful Rafah, a motion that Israeli forces mightiness beryllium adjacent to launching a long-anticipated penetration of the refugee-packed city. Late successful the day, the Israeli subject said it was carrying retired “targeted strikes” connected successful eastbound Rafah.

The strikes whitethorn beryllium to beryllium an effort to crook up the unit connected Hamas negotiators. Late successful the day, successful keeping with a week of contradictory signals, the Israeli premier minister’s bureau said that Hamas’s latest cease-fire connection was unsatisfactory.

Then it said would nonstop a working-level delegation backmost to the talks successful Cairo anyway.