A photo showing destruction in Gaza due to the Israeli war - File/WAFA
CAIRO – 12 September 2024: A high-level Egyptian source on Wednesday stated that the recent indirect ceasefire discussions between Hamas and Israel, held in Qatar, were marked by seriousness, signaling hope for a resolution to the crisis.
Hamas confirmed that its negotiating team, led by senior official Khalil Al-Hayya, engaged in talks with Abbas Kamel, Head of the Egyptian General Intelligence Service (GIS), and Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, Qatar’s Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, in Doha.
The movement commended Egypt's mediating efforts during the negotiations, expressing support for ongoing mediation endeavors to reach a comprehensive agreement.
Hamas reiterated its readiness to strike a deal that would lead to a ceasefire in Gaza and the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from the enclave.
Furthermore, Hamas clarified its rejection of any proposals concerning post-war arrangements, emphasizing that governance in Gaza remains an internal Palestinian matter.
For several months, Egypt, Qatar, and the United States have been facilitating discussions between Hamas and Israel.
Despite multiple reports of progress over the past phases, the Israeli war has persisted for nearly a year, killing scores of civilians, including women and children, and devastating Gaza's infrastructure.
Recent negotiation rounds in Cairo and Doha were based on a framework proposed by US President Joe Biden in May, along with a "bridging proposal" developed by the US in collaboration with Egypt and Qatar.
Following the latest talks in Doha, Hamas restated in a statement on Wednesday the movement’s readiness to promptly implement a ceasefire agreement aligned with Biden's proposal.
In November, the mediation efforts of the three nations successfully brokered a one-week prisoner exchange deal between Hamas and Israel, leading to the release of over 100 Israeli captives in exchange for about 240 Palestinian prisoners.
However, the recent deaths of six captives held in Gaza, including an American national, have sparked widespread protests in Israel, urging Benjamin Netanyahu’s government to reach a deal with Hamas before it becomes too late for the rest of captives.
The families of Israeli captives taken by Hamas on October 7 have blamed Netanyahu on the fresh deaths, calling on him to take responsibility for their passing.
“A deal for the return of the hostages has been on the table for over two months. Were it not for the delays, sabotage and excuses, the six hostages whose deaths we learned about this morning would likely still be alive,” the Hostage and Missing Families Forum said in a Facebook post on 1 September.
While numerous individuals remain captive in Gaza, Israel has introduced new conditions for a ceasefire agreement, including the ability for its troops to resume hostilities and maintain a military presence in the enclave, notably in the Philadelphi Corridor along the Egypt-Gaza border.
Netanyahu claims Israeli troops must remain at this corridor to prevent weapons being dispatched across the border.
Egypt has vocally opposed Netanyahu's position, condemning his allegations of weapon smuggling, with a senior official attributing the lack of progress towards a ceasefire accord to Netanyahu's inflexibility.
Throughout the 11 months of war in Gaza, Israeli forces have killed over 41,000 individuals, left nearly 95,000 others wounded, displaced a significant portion of the 2.2 million population, and pushed the enclave to the brink of famine.
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