A “bridging proposal” had given some hope that an agreement might still be possible in the Gaza negotiations. Now the teams are leaving Cairo again without a result.
Negotiations on a ceasefire in the Gaza war are at an impasse: There is a “difficult stalemate” in the talks in Cairo, the German Press Agency learned from Egyptian security circles. There is no movement in the positions of the participants.
According to well-informed sources at the airport, the 13-member Israeli delegation that had arrived in Cairo hours earlier left. Qatar’s Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani also left the capital, as did Hamas representatives who had traveled from Doha to be informed about the progress of the talks.
A senior Hamas official said Israel must commit to the promises made in early July and to US President Joe Biden’s peace plan. Hamas is ready to implement the agreements reached previously. Any agreement to the war must include, among other things, a permanent ceasefire and a complete withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza.
According to security circles, the main issue that remains controversial is the extent to which Israeli troops will be allowed to remain stationed in the Gaza-Egypt border area in the event of a ceasefire. Israel suspects that Hamas has been supplying itself with weapons across this border. The Islamist Hamas is demanding a complete Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.
The talks in Cairo were overshadowed by the heavy mutual attacks by Israel and the Hezbollah militia in Lebanon on Sunday morning. However, these attacks did not directly influence the course of the talks, security sources said.
The prospects that a breakthrough could be achieved in the talks in the near future are slim. The USA, Qatar and Egypt, which are mediating between Hamas and Israel, spoke of “serious and constructive” negotiations after the most recent round of negotiations in Doha. There was also talk of a “bridging proposal” to reduce remaining gaps between Israel and Hamas. Nothing has been announced at this time about the date for a possible new round of negotiations.
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
