Jerusalem, Apr 30 (EFE).- Israel will not send its negotiators to Cairo until the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas responded to the latest Gaza ceasefire proposal.
The Times of Israel, citing an Israeli official, said the government will wait until Wednesday night before deciding how to participate in the latest round of negotiations.
The news comes after a Hamas delegation left Cairo to study the latest offer, which includes a 40-day ceasefire and the release of thousands of Palestinian prisoners in exchange for Israeli hostages in Gaza.
Egypt, the main mediator in the latest ceasefire attempt, is awaiting the return of a delegation from the Islamist group with a written response to the proposal, “highly placed” sources close to the country’s intelligence services told the Egyptian television channel Al Qahera News.
Egyptian sources and media said the mediators witnessed “a notable response” from Hamas negotiators during the Cairo meetings, raising hopes for a ceasefire in the besieged Gaza Strip.
The Israeli military has killed more than 34,000 people in the war-torn Palestinian enclave since Oct.7 last year after Hamas militants slaughtered 1,200 Israelis and took 240 hostages in a multi-pronged assault on Israeli communities close to the border with Gaza.
Multiple peace efforts, mediated by the United States, Qatar, and Egypt have failed to end the war.
Until now, Hamas and Israel have reached only one ceasefire agreement in the last nearly six months of war. The truce lasted for a week in November and allowed for the exchange of 105 hostages for 240 Palestinian prisoners.
The fresh ceasefire efforts coincide with increasing pressure from the United States and major European states in favor of a ceasefire that would allow for the release of hostages in Gaza and increased aid to Gazans amid Israel’s relentless assault.
On Monday night, US President Joe Biden discussed ongoing ceasefire efforts with Egyptian President Abdelfatah al-Sisi and the Emir of Qatar, Tamim bin Hamad al Thani, key mediators between Hamas and Israel.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken was in the Middle East on Monday, his seventh trip to the region in the last seven months of the Gaza war. EFE
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