With Ramadan just a few days away, mediators from Egypt, Qatar, and the United States have been engaged in discussions to negotiate the terms of a potential ceasefire in Gaza, aiming to end nearly five months of Israeli aggression.
The mediators are urging for an immediate ceasefire to facilitate increased aid delivery to the war-torn Gaza Strip and enable a prisoner swap deal.
The proposed deal is expected to halt the fighting for at least six weeks and facilitate the release of around 100 captives held by Hamas in Gaza, in exchange for the freedom of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.
The ceasefire talks have been ongoing in Cairo for four consecutive days, with the participation of senior negotiators from Egypt, Qatar, and the US, as well as envoys from Hamas, aiming to reach a ceasefire agreement before the start of Ramadan.
Israel has boycotted the negotiations in the Egyptian capital due to Hamas's refusal to provide a list of captives who are still alive.
A ceasefire is desperately needed as UN data reveals that one quarter of Gaza's 2.3 million population is "one step away from famine," with children suffering and dying from starvation.
Since October 7, the Israeli attacks have claimed the lives of 30,717 people and injured 72,156, according to the health ministry in Gaza on Wednesday.
Egypt is increasingly concerned about Israeli threats to launch a groundinvasion in Rafah city, which shares a border with Sinai and currently houses approximately 1.4 million Palestinians, a significant increase from the pre-war population of around 200,000.
Egypt has expressed its deep concerns regarding the catastrophic impact that such an operation would have on further exacerbating the already dire humanitarian situation in the strip.
Egypt has condemned the Israeli government decision on building about 3500 new settlement units in the West Bank.
In a statement on Wednesday, the Egyptian ForeignMinistry said such a measure reflects insistence to proceed with the illegal settlement policy in violation of the relevant resolutions of the United Nations Security Council and the international law.
The ministry added that Israel's continued Israeli practices of annexing and stealing Palestinian lands will not change the lands' historic, legal and demographic status.
The ministry underlined the importance of halting such practices which hamper efforts to reach a just settlement of the Palestinian cause.
Egypt urged international players to take a strong stand against the Israeli settlement activities.
Egypt also called on the United Nations Security Council to shoulder the responsibility to halt the Israeli violations against the international law and protect the Palestinians and their rights.
The ministry called for the council to support the recognition of the Palestinian state along the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital.
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