Hezbollah, Hamas In Gaza Ceasefire Talks

Lebanon’s Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah and top Hamas official Khalil Al-Hayya discussed the latest developments in the Gaza Strip and negotiations aimed at reaching a ceasefire there during a meeting, Hezbollah said on Friday.

Nasrallah received Hamas deputy chief Hayya for the meeting, which reviewed “the latest security and political developments” in the Gaza Strip, the Iran-backed Hezbollah said in a statement.

Sparked by Gaza, the conflict between Iran-backed Hezbollah and Israel has raised fears of a full-scale war, which both sides have indicated they want to avoid.

“They also discussed the latest developments in the ongoing negotiations these days, their atmosphere, and the proposals presented to reach an end to the treacherous aggression against the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip,” the statement said.

A senior U.S. administration official said on Thursday that Hamas had made a pretty significant adjustment in its position over a potential hostage release deal with Israel, expressing hope that it would lead to a pact that would be a step to a permanent ceasefire.

Hezbollah and Israel have been trading fire since October across the Lebanese-Israeli border in “a conflict that has run in parallel to the Gaza war, raising fears of a bigger conflict between the heavily armed adversaries.”

Reuters/Shakirat Sadiq