Israel, Hamas trade accusations of ceasefire delays

JERUSALEM — Hopes for a ceasefire looked complicated Wednesday, with Israel and the terrorist Hamas group that runs Gaza trading accusations of delaying an agreement. In recent weeks, the two sides appeared to be inching toward a deal that would bring home dozens of hostages held by the terrorists in Gaza, but differences have emerged.

Although Israel and Hamas have expressed optimism that progress was being made toward a deal, sticking points remain over the exchange of hostages for Palestinian prisoners and the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza, people involved in the talks say.

On Wednesday, Hamas accused Israel of introducing new conditions related to the withdrawal from Gaza, the prisoners and the return of displaced people, which it said was delaying the deal.

Israel’s government accused Hamas of reneging on understandings that have already been reached.” Still, both sides said discussions are ongoing.

Israel’s negotiating team, which includes members from its intelligence agencies and the military, returned from Qatar on Tuesday evening for internal consultations, following a week of what it called “significant negotiations.”

Israel says about 100 hostages remain in Gaza — at least a third whom it believes have died.

In other developments, a baby girl died of hypothermia overnight in Gaza. The 3-week old baby was the third to die from the cold in Gaza’s tent camps in recent days, doctors said.

Temperatures on Tuesday night dropped to 48 degrees.

Ahmed al-Farra, director of the children’s ward at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, confirmed that the baby died of hypothermia. He said two other babies under a month old had been brought to the hospital over the past 48 hours after dying of hypothermia.