Negotiations to resolve Gaza crisis indispensable, Egypt’s role essential: High-level source

CAIRO – 3 January 2023: A high-level Egyptian source stressed on Wednesday that the path of negotiations to resolve the crisis in Gaza is irreplaceable, adding that Egypt’s role in this regard is also indispensable.

“The crisis in Gaza would worsen beyond everyone’s expectations if Egypt were to abandon its mediation efforts,” the source added.

The remarks come following assertions that Hamas and Islamic Jihad have informed Cairo of suspending Gaza ceasefire negotiations following the assassination of senior Hamas leader Saleh Al-Arouri in Beirut on Tuesday.

The assassination, carried out by an Israeli strike, has sparked uproar among Palestinian factions and Lebanon’s Hezbollah, which vowed to retaliate against the attack.

Hezbollah fired anti-tank missiles in northern Israel, according to Israeli media after asserting that its fighters are at heightened readiness in order to retaliate.

“We affirm that this crime will never pass without response and punishment,” the Lebanese group has said in a statement,

The group described the Israeli strike “a serious assault on Lebanon, its people, its security and its sovereignty… and a dangerous development in the course of the war between the enemy and the axis of resistance.”

Israeli media reports said the Israeli army is on high alert following the assassination of Arouri, adding the Israeli army is ready to respond to any Hezbollah retaliation. 

Moreover, Prime Minister Najib Mikati condemned the attack in Beirut, saying it seeks to draw Lebanon into a new stage of confrontation with Israel.

Egypt has been pushing for a ceasefire in Gaza over the past weeks, receiving high-level delegations from Hamas and Islamic Jihad. Egypt has been also confronting an Israeli scheme to relocate Palestinians in Gaza to Sinai, a proposal that Egypt has strongly rejected.

The Israeli attacks in Gaza over the past 88 days have killed 22,313 people and injured 57,296 individuals, according to the Ministry of Health in Gaza. Most of the victims are women and children.

Over the past 24 hours, the Israeli forces committed 10 massacres against Palestinian families in the strip, killing 128 people and injuring 261, added the ministry.