Israel Hamas representative arrives in Cairo for ceasefire talks
Representatives of the Islamist Hamas have traveled to Cairo for further negotiations with Israel on a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. The German Press Agency learned this from circles at the airport in the Egyptian capital.
24.08.2024, 12:45
SDA
The high-ranking officials traveled from Qatar, where Hamas has its political office and thus its most important representation abroad. The group was led by Khalil al-Haja, reported the news channel Al Jazeera. The mediators Egypt and Qatar wanted to inform Hamas in Cairo about the status of the talks.
Egypt, Qatar and the USA are mediating between Israel and Hamas because the two sides are not negotiating directly with each other. Top representatives of the three countries want to try again in Cairo to close gaps in the positions of the two warring parties in order to achieve a ceasefire and the exchange of hostages for prisoners.
One of the biggest points of contention is Israel's demand for permanent control of the southern border between the Gaza Strip and Egypt. According to the Israeli army, a number of Hamas tunnels run under the so-called Philadelphi corridor, which is around 14 kilometers long. Israel insists on control in order to prevent the smuggling of weapons into the Gaza Strip. Egypt, on the other hand, denies the existence of underground smuggling routes.
The US news website Axios reported that US President Biden had tried to persuade Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to make concessions in this regard. According to the report, Netanyahu should agree to withdraw Israeli troops from the border during the first phase of a possible ceasefire. However, Netanyahu has only agreed to withdraw from one of the positions along the border.
