CAIRO – 9 August 2024: Numerous world leaders have voiced robust backing for the unified plea from Egyptian, Qatari, and US leaders, which urged Israel and Hamas to reinitiate discussions for a Gaza ceasefire and the negotiation of a detainee release accord.
Leaders from Egypt, Qatar, and the United States have jointly invited Israel and Hamas to engage in crucial discussions on Thursday, August 15, in either Doha or Cairo to negotiate a ceasefire agreement in Gaza.
“There is no further time to waste nor excuses from any party for further delay,” said a joint statement by President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, US President Joe Biden, and Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani Thursday.
The statement added that the time has come to start a ceasefire and implement a prisoner release deal.
“We need a ceasefire in Gaza now,” President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen wrote on X.
“I strongly support the efforts led by the U.S., Egypt, and Qatar to help achieve the peace and stability the region needs,” she added.
We need a ceasefire in Gaza now. That’s the only way to save lives, restore hope for peace, and secure the return of hostages.
— Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) August 9, 2024
Thus I strongly support the efforts led by the U.S., Egypt, and Qatar to help achieve the peace and stability the region needs.
Meanwhile, Josep Borrell, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, reiterated the EU full support to the mediation efforts made by the three countries to put an end to the unbearable cycle of suffering of people in Gaza.
“The EU joins Egypt, Qatar & the US in their call for concluding, without delay, the ceasefire & hostages release deal,” Borrell said, affirming that the deal will help de-escalate regional tensions.
The EU joins Egypt, Qatar & the US in their call for concluding, without delay, the ceasefire & hostages release deal.
— Josep Borrell Fontelles (@JosepBorrellF) August 9, 2024
We reiterate our full support to their mediation to put an end to the unbearable cycle of suffering
The deal will also pave the way for regional de-escalation.
“There is no time to waste,” said the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, voicing strong support to the Egyptian-Qatari-US initiative with the aim of restoring security across the Middle East.
Min @Antonio_Tajani🗣️"There is no time to waste.
— Italy MFA (@ItalyMFA_int) August 9, 2024
We strongly support the initiative of the US President, with the leaders of Egypt and Qatar, to reach a ceasefire in #Gaza and the release of hostages soon.
It is key to restore a political prospect of peace and stability in M.E." https://t.co/5FwSJnI12T
Spain reiterated its demand for a ceasefire in Gaza based Biden’s initiative on May 31 to allow the entry of humanitarian aid and the release of captives.
In a statement, the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation added that a ceasefire in Gaza should help avoid regional escalation and violence and facilitate progress in the implementation of the two-state solution.
The Government of Spain supports the call of the President of the United States, the President of Egypt, and the Emir of Qatar to conclude and implement without further delay the ceasefire agreement in Gaza and to set free the hostages and detainees.
— Spain MFA (@SpainMFA) August 9, 2024
📎https://t.co/qHLiMJ0B6c pic.twitter.com/0P8Kk4e2oH
French President Emmanuel Macron supported the initiative, saying “the war in Gaza must stop. This must be clear to everyone.”
“It is crucial for the people of Gaza, for the hostages, and for the stability of the region, which is at stake today,” Macron wrote on X.
The war in Gaza must stop.
— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) August 9, 2024
This must be clear to everyone.
It is crucial for the people of Gaza, for the hostages, and for the stability of the region, which is at stake today.
Full support from France to the American, Egyptian, and Qatari mediators.
Moreover, many countries in the Arab region, including Lebanon and Iraq o affirmed support to the initiative.
The Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs welcomed the joint statement, viewing it as a “serious commitment” by the three leaders to resolving the current humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
The ministry hailed the step as a significant step toward achieving regional stability, affirming support to this international effort with the aim of easing the suffering of the Palestinian people and expediting the endeavors of ending the crisis.
The Lebanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants commended the joint statement, thanking the three leaders for the significant efforts they exert to stop the cycle of violence in the region.
Lebanon stressed the need to exert maximum pressure on Israel to compel it to sit at the negotiating table and implement the Security Council Resolution 2735 without any delay.
The ministry affirmed that Israel is “the party that seeks escalation and places obstacles in the way of reaching a ceasefire agreement in Gaza.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office announced overnight Friday that Tel Aviv has agreed to resume Gaza ceasefire discussions on August 15 at the request of Egypt, Qatar, and the US.
Pursuant to the proposal by the US and the mediators, Israel will – on 15 August – send the negotiations team to a place to be determined in order to finalize the details of the implementation of the framework agreement.
— Prime Minister of Israel (@IsraeliPM) August 9, 2024
Meanwhile, Far-right Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich voiced opposition to the resumption of ceasefire talks as demanded by the mediators, calling it “a trap.”
“The time has not come for a dangerous trap in which the "intermediaries" dictate a "formula" to us and impose on us a surrender agreement that will drain the many blood we shed in the most just war we are waging,” Smotrich wrote on Twitter.
He warned that stopping the war will enable Hamas to rehabilitate.
Gaza war, growing tensions
The joint statement by the three leaders follows ten months since the commencement of the Israeli war in Gaza, which has resulted in a devastating toll, with nearly 40,000 fatalities, over 91,000 injuries, the displacement of most of Gaza's 2.2 million inhabitants, and the enclave facing the looming threat of famine.
The war was triggered by a Hamas attack on Israeli communities near Gaza on October 7, during which Palestinian fighters captured around 250 Israelis and foreign nationals.
In November, a prisoner exchange brokered by Egypt, Qatar, and the US resulted in the release of about 100 Israeli captives in return for about 240 Palestinian prisoners.
Israel managed to rescue seven captives in Gaza over the past months. However, unrelenting Israeli strikes have led to the deaths of some of the roughly 100 captives still held in Gaza.
The statement also arrives against the backdrop of an increasingly turbulent regional climate.
Israel and the US are on high alert for imminent retaliatory actions from Iran against Israeli targets following the recent assassinations of senior Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr in Beirut and Hamas political bureau leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran by Israeli forces.
Heightened tensions have been exacerbated by warnings from Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Houthis in Yemen, both supported by Iran and longstanding adversaries of Israel, threatening severe repercussions in response to the recent killings.
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