- CIA and Mossad chiefs meet with delegates from Egypt and Qatar.
- Hamas says it doesn’t trust Israel not to restart the war if prisoners are released.
CAIRO: Officials from the United States, Egypt, Israel, and Qatar gathered in Cairo on Tuesday in another attempt to reach an agreement on a Gaza truce, as calls intensified for Israel to postpone a planned attack on the enclave’s southernmost city, which is home to over a million refugees.
Renewed attempts were underway to arrange a cease-fire in a war that has had far-reaching consequences throughout the Middle East. According to Egypt’s state-run Al Qahera News, talks have begun between US, Qatari, Egyptian, and Israeli officials.
CIA director William Burns met with Mossad leader David Barnea in Cairo for a new session of discussions on a Qatari-brokered deal to temporarily cease violence in exchange for Hamas captive release. The two intelligence chiefs were joined by Qatar’s prime minister and Egyptian officials, while Turkey’s president is scheduled to visit Cairo for discussions on Wednesday.
According to a Palestinian official, “The sides are searching for an arrangement that will be agreeable to Hamas, who says it is only feasible to sign a deal once it depends on an Israeli pledge of terminating its war and drawing out its forces from Gaza.”
A proposal made with Israeli diplomats in Paris last month has been back and forth between the two parties.
“Hamas and the [other] parties are awaiting the result of the Cairo discussions, and Hamas is willing to engage in discussing any strategy that puts an end to violence and war,” a Hamas official told AFP on a request for anonymity.
The search for a ceasefire began when Israel was forewarned by the US and the UN not to launch a ground invasion into Rafah, the southernmost Gaza city where over a million Palestinians are imprisoned.
According to the official, Hamas had informed the attendees that it did not trust Israel to end the conflict if the Israeli detainees detained by the Palestinians were freed.
Since October 7, Hamas has been holding the captives in order to put pressure on Israeli forces to cease their ceaseless attacks on the Palestinian people.
Sami Abu Zuhri, a top Hamas leader, accused Israel of being to fault for the current stagnation of peace negotiations.
Israel remained silent regarding the state of the negotiations.
‘Genocide’
South Africa requested on Tuesday that the international court examine if Israel’s proposal to expand its attack into Rafah necessitated taking more urgent action to protect Palestinian rights.
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) recently mandated Israel to take all reasonable steps to stop its troops from perpetrating genocide targeting Palestinians in Gaza in a case brought by South Africa.
Israel has requested that the lawsuit be dismissed altogether because it disputes that it is committed “genocide.”
Erdogan is scheduled to visit Egypt.
In the meantime, Wednesday is when Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is scheduled to arrive in Cairo for a meeting with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.
Watch: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan expresses gratitude to South Africa for Gaza advocacy at the World Government Summit in Dubai. #WGS2024 #Dubai
Read more: https://t.co/f23yA31K88 pic.twitter.com/oIxi18MBrV
— Al Arabiya English (@AlArabiya_Eng) February 13, 2024
The meetings will also cover economic, commerce, tourism, energy, and defense issues, according to Turkish news organization Anadolu. Erdogan stated that the two would talk about “every effort” to cease the “bloodshed” in the Gaza Strip.
The Turkish president will be making his first trip to Egypt since 2012.
Although the two regional giants have frequently disagreed, they share similar objectives about two significant conflicts: Gaza and Sudan.
Erdogan declared that he will “look at additional things that can be achieved for our brothers in Gaza” during his meetings in Egypt and the United Arab Emirates.
He said during a press conference, “As Turkiye, we will to make every attempt to stop the bloodshed.”
As a result of Israel’s aerial bombardment and military offensive in Palestinian territory, which have dead at least 28,473 people—mostly women and children—the Gaza Health Ministry reports that Erdogan has become one of the Muslim world’s most vocal critics of Israel.
Up until October of last year, Istanbul was the base of operations for the political leaders of Hamas, until the NATO member requested their departure.
Additionally, Turkey withdrew its ambassador from Israel in November and has been in touch with the Hamas leadership on occasion, perceiving Turkey as a possible partner in ceasefire talks.
With US assistance, Egypt and Qatar are at present mediating a possible new deal between the warring parties.
SOURCE: DAWN NEWS
