Israel’s war on the Palestinian enclave has killed over 44,000 people, most of them civilians [Getty]
A security delegation was sent from Cairo to Israel on Thursday in a renewed diplomatic push to reach a ceasefire in Gaza, Egyptian sources told Reuters on Wednesday.
The Palestinian Hamas group had said Wednesday that it was committed to cooperating with any ceasefire efforts.
Regional and international states are urging an end to hostilities in Gaza as a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Lebanon’s Hezbollah group came into effect this week after more than a year of fighting.
Hezbollah had started what it called a support front for Gaza, which has been under attack by the Israeli military since 7 October last year.
Hamas added in a statement issued after Israel and Hezbollah agreed to a ceasefire in Lebanon: “We express our commitment to cooperate with any ceasefire efforts in Gaza, and we are concerned with stopping the aggression against our people.”
It added that any deal should entail the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the enclave, the return of displaced Palestinians, and a prisoner-captive swap deal.
Israel says around 100 captives of the more than 250 captured by Hamas on 7 October 2023 remain held in Gaza, including some who have died.
Outgoing US President Joe Biden had said recently that the United States, Israel, Egypt, Qatar and Turkey would “make another push” in coming days for a Gaza ceasefire.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reportedly rejected Turkey’s mediation, and Qatar recently said it was currently not engaged in any talks between Hamas – which has a political bureau in Doha – or Israel as both sides were not showing seriousness.
The US last week vetoed a UN Security Council resolution for a ceasefire, drawing criticism of the Biden administration for once again blocking international action aimed at ending the offensive.
The war has killed nearly 44,000 Palestinians – mostly civilians – and displaced nearly all the enclave’s population at least once, plunging the entire territory into one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.
