2024-04-26 15:15:00
The Egyptian delegation in Israel to revive stalled talks on hostages and a cease-fire in Gaza
An Egyptian delegation is in Israel in an effort to advance stalled negotiations aimed at freeing hostages and implementing a ceasefire in Gaza, Egyptian and Israeli officials told CNN on Friday.
The delegation is also willing to continue talks with Israeli officials regarding security coordination regarding a possible Israeli operation in Rafah, another Israeli official said.
Egypt is concerned about the implications of a large-scale Israeli operation in Rafah, close to its border, where around a million displaced Palestinians have taken refuge in recent months.
Despite months of talks mediated by Qatar and Egypt, Hamas and Israel failed to reach an agreement due to differences over key demands.
A senior US administration official said Thursday that there is “some indication that there is a path” to intervention.
The latest draft presented in several rounds of talks in Qatar and Egypt includes a 6-week ceasefire and the release of several hostages held by Hamas in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.
Hamas’ main demand is the “unfettered” return of Palestinians displaced from southern Gaza to the north.
A US official confirmed that element was included in the draft agreement, but “there are provisions” to guarantee the safety of the returnees.
“That means shelter, that means aid. That means the UN mission to make sure things are ready,” the official said.
In an interview with Al Jazeera, senior Hamas official Khalil Al-Hayya reiterated other key demands, previously rejected by Israel, as basic conditions for any deal.
Al-Hayya said Hamas “cannot reach an agreement” without a guarantee of a permanent ceasefire and the full withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza.
“Despite the disaster [en Gaza]…we can’t let go [a los rehenes] on a weak exchange, which may cause a resumption of attack [israelí] or war against our people,” he said.
Israel has insisted that it will continue to operate in Gaza until Hamas is eliminated.
As the talks continue, the death toll in Gaza continues to rise and the families of the hostages in Israel are devastated. Qatar, a key negotiator, this week questioned how serious Israel and Hamas were about reaching an agreement.
Conflicting points in negotiations
One of them is the number of Israeli hostages, who are planned to be released in the first phase of the agreement. After accepting 40 hostages, including all the women as well as sick and elderly men, Hamas then indicated that it does not have enough hostages alive who meet those criteria to be released, according to another Israeli official and a source familiar with the discussion.
“We often hear things from Hamas leaders abroad [de Gaza] does not show the leaders of Hamas inside, which seems determined simply to stay underground to hold hostages,” said the senior US administration official.
In a rare joint statement on Thursday, the leaders of 18 countries, including the United States, urged Hamas to accept the terms of an agreement and release the hostages, which would “bring about an immediate and prolonged ceasefire in Gaza that would facilitate an increase in the necessary additional humanitarian aid that would be provided to Gaza and bring a credible end to the hostilities.”
A senior Hamas official condemned the statement as an expression of “ironic international politics” and called on the signatory countries to put pressure on Israel to accept an agreement.
“Their sons and daughters are not more valuable than our sons,” declared Basem Naim.
Zeena Saifi contributed to this report.
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