Egypt: Gaza peace talks at standstill
Hamas leaders are on day two of truce talks with Egyptian and Qatari mediators, with no successful progress as the group has maintained their demands, reports Reuters.
From the 4th to the 5th of May , Egypt along with Qatar and the US have been leading efforts to mediate between Israel and Hamas to broker a deal for a ceasefire in the conflict that began on October 7th.
On route to Cairo on May 4th, Hamas said its delegates had a “positive spirit,” after studying the latest proposal for a truce agreement.
“We are determined to secure an agreement in any way that fulfills Palestinians’ demands.” The Palestinian militant group stated.
One Palestinian official mentioned that the Hamas delegation had arrived in Cairo with a similar attitude to reach a deal “but not at any price.”
READ: Hamas chief calls for ceasefire, Israel rejects
For months, both sides have continued ceasefire talks without a decisive breakthrough. While Israel has said it is determined to eliminate Hamas, Hamas says it wants a permanent ceasefire and a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.
“A deal must end the war and get Israeli forces out of Gaza and Israel hasn’t yet committed it was willing to do so,” the official told Reuters, on the condition of anonymity.
Israel’s conditions to reach a deal include that Hamas must free at least some of the around 130 hostages. An Israeli official singled on the 4th of May that its core position remains unchanged, stating that Israel would “under no circumstances” agree to a deal to end the war, under the context that Israel wants to dismantle Hamas for good.
READ: Israel raid frees two hostages held by Hamas
Another Palestinian official told Reuters the negotiations are “facing challenges because the occupation (Israel) refuses to commit to a comprehensive ceasefire” but added that the Hamas delegation was still in Cairo in the hope mediators could press Israel to change its position.
While officials continue peace talks in Cairo, residents and health officials said that Israeli planes and tanks continue to bulldoze areas across the Palestinian enclave, killing and wounding several people.
Qatar and Egypt are trying to revive negotiations, following a brief November ceasefire as Cairo grows worried by the prospect of an Israeli ground operation against Hamas in Rafah in southern Gaza.
The Rafah Border is the sole crossing point between Egypt and Palestine’s Gaza Strip, where more than 1 million people have taken shelter near the border with Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula.
As Egypt struggle with increasing inflation and is struggling to raise foreign currency, its economy may not be able to support the potential overwhelming flow of immigrants that could be pushed over from Rafah.
READ: Gaza: mass displacement strokes Egyptian fears
Reuters.
