Media reported a slowdown in negotiations between Israel and Hamas

Negotiations between the Israeli authorities and the Palestinian Hamas movement have slowed down significantly after the expansion of Israeli army operations in the Gaza Strip, reports Reuters.

The negotiations were organized through the mediation of Qatar.

“Negotiations… continued on Saturday despite escalating Israeli attacks on the enclave… but are proceeding at a much slower pace,” it said.

Earlier it was reported about the “maneuvers” of the Israeli military in the Gaza Strip. Thus, Hamas units repelled the IDF offensive at Beit Hanoun in the northeast of the Gaza Strip. IDF spokesman Peter Lerner told ABC News that Israel intends to destroy the Gaza government and eliminate Hamas’ capabilities.

Earlier it was reported that the Israeli authorities reject the UN General Assembly resolution calling for a truce and intend to destroy Hamas. The UN General Assembly adopted a draft resolution on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, proposed by a number of Arab countries and calling for an immediate truce. 120 countries voted in support of the document, 14 were against, 45 abstained.

On the morning of October 7, Israel was subjected to an unprecedented-scale rocket attack from the Gaza Strip as part of Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, announced by the military wing of the Palestinian Hamas movement. At the same time, organized groups of Hamas fighters began to penetrate into Israeli territory, who easily overcame the first line of defense of the Israeli army, took hostages and caused serious damage. Israel later launched Operation Iron Swords, attacking the Gaza Strip and cutting off all supplies of water, food, electricity, medicine and fuel.

At the moment, the number of deaths from Israeli army strikes in the Gaza Strip has exceeded 7,300, including 20 Russian citizens, and the number of wounded has exceeded 19,000. In addition, Hamas militants may be holding up to 150 Israelis hostage. More than 1.3 thousand people died in Israel.

The Russian Foreign Ministry called on the parties to stop all hostilities. Russian President Vladimir Putin said that a resolution to this crisis is possible only on the basis of a “two-state” formula approved by the UN Security Council, that is, the creation of an independent Palestinian state within the 1967 borders with its capital in East Jerusalem.