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By Andrew Mills and Nidal Al-Mughrabi

Doha/Cairo (Reuters) – Talks aimed at reaching a ceasefire and the release of hostages held in the Gaza Strip began in Doha on Thursday, an informed official told Reuters.

This new round of talks will be held in the presence of the head of Israel’s intelligence service, his counterparts from the United States and Egypt, and the Qatari Prime Minister.

The talks, aimed at ending ten months of fighting in the Gaza Strip and the return of 115 Israeli and foreign hostages, took place at a time when Iran appeared close to responding to Israel after the assassination of a leader the political bureau of the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran on July 31.

With US warships, submarines and aircraft deployed to the region to protect Israel and deter any possible attack, Washington hopes the Gaza ceasefire agreement will end the risk of a wider regional war.

Hamas officials, who accused Israel of stalling, did not participate in Thursday’s talks. But an official familiar with the talks told Reuters that the mediators planned to consult with Hamas’ negotiating team in Doha after the meeting.

Defense officials said Wednesday that the Israeli delegation includes intelligence chief David Barnea, Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar, and IDF hostage file coordinator Nitzan Alon.

CIA Director Bill Burns and US ambassador to the Middle East Brett McGurk will represent Washington in the talks requested by Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman Al Thani, and Abbas Kamel, the head of Egypt’s General Intelligence Service. participating in the Doha talks.

Israel and Hamas blamed each other for not reaching an agreement, but before Thursday’s meeting, neither side was ruling out reaching an agreement.

A source in Israel’s negotiating team said on Wednesday that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu allowed him a lot of discretion in dealing with some of the fundamental points of disagreement.

Points of contention include the presence of Israeli forces in the Gaza Strip, the timeline for the release of the hostages, and restrictions on access to the northern Gaza Strip.

Before the talks began on Thursday, Hamas, which rejects any interference by the US or Israel in “day-after” scenarios for the war in Gaza, told mediators that if Israel made a “very serious” proposal ” according to the recommendations of the previous movement, that they would continue to participate in the discussions.

Senior Hamas leader Sami Abu Zuhri told Reuters on Thursday that the movement was committed to the negotiation process and urged mediators to ensure that Israel follows through on the proposal agreed by Hamas in early July, which said yes it would end the war and include the complete withdrawal of Israel. forces from Strath.

As negotiators arrived in Qatar, fighting continued in Gaza, with Israeli forces bombing targets in the southern cities of Rafah and Khan Yunis.

The devastating war in the Gaza Strip left more than 40,000 Palestinians dead, according to Gaza Health Ministry officials, and displaced nearly all of the Strip’s 2.3 million residents.

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Bangladesh’s new prime minister, Muhammad Yunus, called for unity as he embraced the mother of a student killed by police in an incident that sparked mass protests that ended Sheikh Hasina’s 15-year rule.

Nobel Laureate Yunus (84 years old) returned from Europe earlier this week to lead an interim administration facing the huge challenge of ending the chaos and getting back on track democratic.

“It is our duty to build a new Bangladesh,” he told reporters.

Bangladesh has seen reprisal attacks against the Hindu minority following the former prime minister’s ouster, sparking concern in neighboring India and fear at home as well.

“Do not discriminate according to religion,” said Yunus.

Yunus called for calm when he visited the northern city of Rangpur to offer condolences to student Abu Saeed, the first student killed in the riots last month.

“Abu Saeed is now in every home,” he said. We should emulate the way he behaved… There are no differences in Abu Saeed’s Bangladesh.”

Abu Saeed (25 years old) was killed by the police from a short range on July 16 at the beginning of the suppression of student demonstrations against the government of Hasina.

His mother sobbed as she held Yunus, who was clearly affected and came to comfort members of the “advisory” caretaker government.

Next to Yunus, a member of the government, Nahid Islam (26 years old), a social sciences graduate who led the demonstrations that led to Hasina’s ouster, cried.

– Clear the relatives –

Hasina, 76, fled to neighboring India on Monday after mass demonstrations on the streets of Dhaka marked a dramatic end to her iron grip on power.

His government has been accused of widespread human rights violations, including the extrajudicial execution of thousands of political opponents.

Her government ministers, shocked by her ouster, left with her, and a large number of appointed officials were forced to resign, including the head of the national police and the governor of the central bank.

On Saturday, the Chief Justice became the latest official to announce his resignation, with private network Jamuna TV reporting that he had agreed to step down “in principle” off.

Obaid Al-Hassan, who was appointed last year, presided over a court that came under much criticism after he ordered the execution of Hasina’s opponents, while his brother was secretary-general his time

His announcement came after hundreds of demonstrators gathered in front of the court, calling for his resignation this afternoon.

“No one should do anything that the Supreme Court will oppose the massive uprising of students and people,” Asif Nisar, one of the protest leaders who has now joined the Yunus government, told reporters.

– Safety and security –

Immediately after Hasina’s downfall, several shops and homes were attacked by Hindus, who some believe are her supporters. Hindus represent about 8 percent of the Bangladeshi population.

Since Hasina’s escape, hundreds of them have reached the Indian border trying to cross.

Her defection angered India, which played a decisive military role in Bangladesh’s independence, but has supported Hasina to the hilt.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi called on Thursday to ensure “the safety and protection of Hindus and all other minorities.”

More than 450 people were killed in the unrest that led to Hasina’s resignation, including dozens of police officers who were killed trying to quell the protests.

The caretaker government headed by Yunus said the establishment of law and order was their “top priority.”

Further complicating the government’s efforts is a strike announced by the police union on Tuesday, saying its members will not join the service if their safety is not guaranteed.

Bangladesh police said more than half of the police stations across the country had resumed service by Saturday.

The buildings are guarded by members of the army, an institution that is more respected than the police for its decision not to stop the protests.

There were two escape attempts from two prisons north of Dhaka this week, and more than 200 inmates managed to escape from one of them.

Yunus won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006 for his pioneering work in microfinance and is credited with lifting millions of Bangladeshis out of poverty.

He assumed his duties Thursday as “senior adviser” to head an interim administration that includes civilian advisers, except for a retired brigadier general, and said he was to hold elections “within a few months.”

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(Reuters) – Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas told the official Russian media in statements published on Tuesday that the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh, the head of the political bureau of the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), is aimed at the escalation of the conflict in Gaza and complex negotiations aimed at resolving the crisis.

Abbas said, “There is no doubt that the aim of killing Haniyeh was to prolong the war and expand its scope.”

He continued, “It will have a negative impact on the ongoing negotiations to end the attack and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.”

Haniyeh was assassinated in the Iranian capital, Tehran, last week, in an attack that prompted threats of retaliation against Israel and raised fears that the conflict in Gaza could turn into a wider war in the Middle East.

“We consider this a barbaric act and a dangerous development in Israel’s policy,” Abbas said in statements published by the Russian Intelligence Agency.

He continued, “The Israeli occupation authorities must abandon their ambitions, stop their aggressive actions against our people and our cause, respect international law and implement the Arab Peace Initiative , as well as an immediate and permanent ceasefire and withdrawal of forces from the Gaza Strip.”