Egypt dismisses Israeli speculation about Gaza negotiations
Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty has firmly rejected Israeli media claims about changes to the venue of Gaza truce negotiations, describing leaks as speculative “test balloons” that should not be taken as official positions, as reported by the Middle East Monitor on August 29th.
He emphasised that Egypt has yet to receive any clear or formal response to the ceasefire proposal already accepted by Hamas, indicating that constructive diplomacy remains stalled. Abdelatty reiterated that only official communications—not media speculation—form the basis for Egyptian policy.
During discussions with his Qatari counterpart, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman, Abdelatty affirmed the shared commitment of Egypt and Qatar to “save innocent Palestinian lives, end the suffering, and reach an immediate ceasefire.” He noted their joint strategy is built upon U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff’s plan, which Hamas has endorsed. Abdelatty said Israel should follow suit, warning that there is no viable alternative proposal on the table.
He further cautioned that while a comprehensive settlement is desired, any terms must be realistic and implementable—a critique directed at what he described as Israel’s “impossible and unrealistic conditions.”
This position echoes earlier statements by Cairo. On August 20th, Egypt publicly urged Israel to accept the ceasefire plan accepted by Hamas. But the truce proposal, based on Witkoff’s framework, has been examined by Israel, as negotiations widely stalled over fundamental disagreements.
Hamas has insisted that any truce must include an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza’s residential areas, while Israel has demanded the liberation of all 50 captives held in Gaza, underscoring the deep divide between both sides’ expectations.
Meanwhile, Egypt’s acceptance of the possible deployment of international forces in Gaza has sparked debate, with analysts questioning how such a presence would affect sovereignty and post-war governance.
Middle East Monitor, Maghrebi.org
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