Negotiations to reach an agreement on a truce in the Gaza Strip between Israel and the Islamic terrorist group Hamas will resume this Sunday, in Cairo, with the participation of “all parties”, according to the Egyptian state television channel this Saturday. Al Qahera News.
A high-ranking security source cited by the broadcaster, who is very close to Egyptian intelligence, added that Egypt is making great efforts to reach an agreement on the cessation of hostilities before the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which is scheduled to begin between March 10th and 11th, according to the lunar calendar. “There is notable progress in the truce negotiations and we will strive to reach a fair agreement,” the source told Al Qahera News, without providing further details. A security source told the reporter, on condition of anonymity, that a delegation from Israel and another from Hamas will disembark tomorrow in the Egyptian capital to participate in the meetings.
The resumption of negotiations comes after an intense week of contacts that led mediators to meet in Paris and Doha to establish a draft agreement that would allow a truce of around six weeks and an exchange of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons for hostages in the hands of the Hamas. On Friday, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said at a forum in Turkey that the start of Ramadan is the “time limit” to reach an agreement on the cessation of hostilities, since if war continuing during the Muslim holy month of fasting will have “very dire consequences.”
Hamas insists that a temporary truce be accompanied by an agreement to cease hostilities in a second phase, which clashes with the opposition of Israel, determined to continue its ground offensive in Rafah, a city in the extreme south of the enclave. and on the border with Egypt, where more than 1.4 million displaced people are crowded together. Since the start of the war, Israel and Hamas only reached a week-long ceasefire agreement at the end of November, which allowed the release of 105 hostages in exchange for 240 Palestinian prisoners.
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