A Hamas delegation, led by the head of its political office, Ismail Haniyeh, arrived in Cairo this Wednesday for a brief visit in order to discuss a possible new truce in the Gaza Strip in which hostages and prisoners would be released. Islamic Jihad plans to visit the Egyptian capital soon.
Meanwhile, the UN Security Council on Tuesday again postponed for the second consecutive day the vote on a new resolution on the Gaza war and the entry of humanitarian aid while negotiations continue to avoid a new veto by the United States.
In a statement, the Islamist group stated that Haniyeh arrived in Cairo “to hold talks with Egyptian officials about the evolution of Zionist aggression.”
Haniyeh, who resides in Qatar, met with the head of the Egyptian General Intelligence Service, General Abbas Kamel, to “bring closer points of view” and “remove obstacles” that will allow “declaring a new truce and trying to open new paths in the negotiation based on the Egyptian role,” an Egyptian security source told EFE.
Cairo is seeking proposals “completely different from the previous ones to open a new path for truce negotiations,” as well as pave the way for “a permanent ceasefire,” the source said, adding that Egypt is trying to obtain approval from Hamas. to return to indirect negotiations. The informant also said that Hamas expressed its willingness to comply with the ceasefire if Israel commits to the agreement.
On Tuesday, Hamas warned in a statement that it will not negotiate the release of hostages as long as Israel’s military offensive continues, but was “open to any initiative that contributes to ending the aggression against our people and opening the crossings to bring aid and relief.” to the Palestinians.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday that he is working to “promote a liberation process” for the hostages, while Israeli President Isaac Herzog said his country “is prepared” for another truce that would allow the release of hostages. and the entry of humanitarian aid, although he pointed out that all responsibility lies in the hands of Hamas.
Of the more than 240 people Hamas kidnapped on October 7, there are still 129 hostages in Gaza, around twenty of whom are believed to have died. The truce of November 24 allowed the release of 105 hostages for a week in exchange for the release of 240 Palestinian prisoners.
After the Hamas attack on October 7 with more than 1,200 deaths, Israel launched a military offensive on the Palestinian enclave, where almost 20,000 people have already died.
Meanwhile, negotiations continue to prevent the US, with the right to veto in the UN Security Council, from overturning another resolution on the situation in Gaza. The Biden Administration has already vetoed resolutions calling for a ceasefire twice alone.
The text proposed by the United Arab Emirates calls for “the urgent suspension of hostilities to allow safe and unimpeded humanitarian access, and urgent measures towards a sustainable cessation of hostilities.” The United States opposes a ceasefire because it believes it would help Hamas rearm.
The Security Council has already met six times to discuss the issue, only once approving a resolution to call for “urgent and prolonged humanitarian pauses” in the war. So, the United States opted to abstain.