[Updated from time to time] Negotiations regarding suspension of fighting, etc. are expected to begin from the 3rd

Reuters reported that negotiations between Israel and the Islamic organization Hamas regarding a cessation of fighting are expected to begin in Egypt from the 3rd.

However, there remains a gap in the positions of Israel and Hamas, and the focus is on whether significant progress can be made.

*We will keep you updated on developments regarding Israel and Palestine as of March 2, Japan time.

Israeli forces continue to carry out heavy attacks in various parts of the Gaza Strip on the 2nd.

Health officials in the Gaza Strip say 11 people were killed and around 50 injured in an airstrike near a hospital in the southern city of Rafah, home to nearly 1.5 million people, including evacuees.

Health authorities have announced that 30,320 people have died so far.

Under these circumstances, Reuters reported that negotiations between Israel and Hamas regarding a cessation of fighting and the release of hostages are expected to begin in Egypt from the 3rd, citing sources on the Egyptian side.

However, some Israeli media have reported a senior Israeli government official saying, ``Hamas will not participate in negotiations unless they present a list of surviving hostages.''

In negotiations between Israel and Hamas, there is a wide gap in their positions regarding a ceasefire, so the focus is on whether progress can be made, including whether Israel will actually participate in the negotiations.

Mediating countries and the United States hope to reach an agreement before the start of Ramadan, the Islamic fasting month, which begins around the 10th of this month, but the future is uncertain.

U.S. military airdrops food to Gaza Strip for first time since clashes begin

According to U.S. Central Command and a senior Biden administration official, the U.S. military, in collaboration with the Jordanian military, used a C130 transport plane to drop a cargo filled with food along the Mediterranean coast of the Gaza Strip on the 2nd.

Of these, the US military has dropped 38,000 meals worth of food, and is considering follow-up operations and bringing in supplies from the sea.

This is the first time the US government has airdropped aid into the Gaza Strip since the series of conflicts began.