No positive progress yet as Gaza truce talks resume in Egypt

No positive progress has been made in the Gaza truce talks, which resumed in Egypt on Saturday in a bid to halt months of conflict between Israel and Hamas in the besieged enclave.

The negotiations encountered challenges due to Israel's insistence on not committing to a (permanent) ceasefire, a source from Hamas, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, told Xinhua.

Hamas demanded in the deal an Israeli pullout from Gaza and a complete end to the conflict, conditions that Israel has been rejecting.

An earlier report from Al Arabiya News channel said Hamas had agreed to release 33 hostages, instead of the initial 20, in the first phase of the ceasefire deal, as required by Israel.

A Hamas delegation arrived in Cairo Saturday to meet the Egyptian mediators on a possible Gaza truce that would see the return to Israel for some hostages.

After the talks began, a top Israeli official accused Hamas of "thwarting the possibility of reaching an agreement" by refusing to give up its demand for an end to the conflict, AFP reported.

The talks ended for the day and would resume on Sunday, a senior Hamas source close to the negotiations told AFP.

Previous negotiations stalled in part on Hamas' demand for a lasting ceasefire and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's repeated vows to crush the group's remaining fighters in the southern city of Rafah, which is flooded with displaced civilians.

While the truce talks continue, Israel continues its military operations in Gaza, where at least 34,654 Palestinians, mostly women and children, had lost their lives due to the bombardments.

The United Nations says more than 70 percent of Gaza's residential buildings have been completely or partly destroyed, and rebuilding will require an effort unseen since the aftermath of World War II.

The World Health Organization (WHO) says 1.2 million people, half of the Gaza Strip's population, are sheltering in Rafah.

Noting the possible Rafah operation, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned that "a full-scale military operation in Rafah could lead to a bloodbath."

World Food Program chief Cindy McCain said in an interview published on Friday that there was already "full-blown famine in the north (of Gaza) and it's moving its way south."

"What we are asking for and what we've continually asked for is a ceasefire and the ability to have unfettered access to get in safe into Gaza – various ports, various gate crossings," McCain continued.

The World Food Program is one of the many humanitarian groups trying to get aid into Gaza.

Israel has repeatedly accused the UN and nongovernmental organizations of not distributing aid quickly enough. However, the aid agencies blame the trickle of essential food into the Palestinian enclave on restrictions and inspections imposed by Israel.

(With input from agencies)