- Netanyahu office: Gaza negotiations continue in Cairo
Against the backdrop of an impending Iranian and allied attack on Israel, efforts for a ceasefire in the Gaza conflict continue. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has approved the dispatch of a delegation for talks in Cairo, his office announced. The delegation will depart on Saturday evening or Sunday, it added.
Indirect negotiations with the Islamic Hamas in the Gaza Strip are being mediated by Egypt, Qatar, and the US. They also aim for the release of Israeli hostages held by Hamas, in exchange for the release of Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails. Talks have been stalemated for months, with Israel insisting on a longer presence of its military at strategic locations in the Gaza Strip.
In recent days, it seemed that the Gaza talks were stalled by targeted killings of prominent Israeli enemies. Deadly attacks on Hamas' international chief, Ismail Haniyeh, in Tehran, and on senior Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr in Beirut, have prompted Iran and its allied Lebanese Shia militia to threaten Israel with massive retaliation.
Israel claimed responsibility for the attack on Shukr, but has not commented on the strike against Haniyeh. Iran and Hamas blame Israel for both attacks. US President Joe Biden said that Haniyeh's killing had not improved the chances for a ceasefire in Gaza.
The statement from Netanyahu's office did not raise high expectations for the upcoming talks in Cairo, noting that Hamas still insists on demands unacceptable to Israel.
The Gaza conflict was sparked by the unprecedented massacre of over 1200 deaths by Hamas and other groups' terrorists in Israel on October 7, 2021.
The United States, being one of the mediators in the Gaza talks along with Egypt and Qatar, continues to push for a peaceful resolution despite the recent tensions following the attacks on Hamas' leader and a senior Hezbollah commander. The United States of America has a significant role in promoting dialogues and seeking the release of Israeli hostages, while also encouraging the moderation of demands by Hamas that are currently unacceptable to Israel.
