Nine months after the attacks of October 7, where are diplomatic efforts?

As the war in Gaza enters its tenth month on Sunday, July 7, diplomatic efforts have been relaunched with a view to a ceasefire and the release of hostages held in Gaza. Israel has announced that it will send a delegation next week to continue talks with Qatari mediators in Doha.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office, however, stressed the persistence of “gaps“with Hamas. David Rigoulet-Roze, researcher at the French Institute for Strategic Analysis and associate researcher at the Institute for International and Strategic Relations (Iris) deciphers this diplomatic progress on franceinfo.

After nine months of agonizing waiting and dashed hopes, families of Israeli hostages held in the Gaza Strip are expressing cautious optimism at the news of new talks that could lead to the release of their loved ones. This caution is necessary, especially as deadly bombings continue in the Gaza Strip and the risk of a flare-up with Hezbollah on the Lebanese border remains high.

The war in Gaza was triggered by an unprecedented Hamas attack in southern Israel on October 7, which killed 1,200 people, mostly civilians. Since the Israeli offensive on the Gaza Strip, more than 38,000 people have been killed, according to a latest toll Saturday from the Health Ministry of the Hamas-run Gaza government.