Official sources reveal that discussions primarily revolved around extending the current ceasefire and broadening the deal to establish a sustainable truce.
In a significant diplomatic move, Egypt is intensifying efforts to prolong the ceasefire in Gaza and secure the release of more detainees, building on the initial 4-day agreement between Hamas and Israel that took effect on Friday. The extension, announced on Monday, aims to contribute to stabilizing the region and addressing the pressing humanitarian crisis.
Egypt's General Intelligence chief, Minister Abbas Helmy, arrived in Doha on Tuesday for crucial discussions with CIA Director William J. Burns, Mossad spy agency chief David Barnea, and high-ranking Qatari officials. The talks focus on easing the humanitarian situation in Gaza and ending the conflict that has put regional stability at risk.
Official sources reveal that discussions primarily revolved around extending the current ceasefire and broadening the deal to establish a sustainable truce.
The extended truce involves the daily release of 10 detainees in Gaza, including women and children, in exchange for 30 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons. The cumulative release during the extended truce amounts to 20 Israelis and 60 Palestinians.
Diaa Rashwan, the head of Egypt's State Information Service, emphasized on Monday that the extended truce encompasses the entry of medical, food, and fuel aid into Gaza. The ban on Israeli flights over the Gaza Strip will persist during the two days of the extended truce.
Israeli media reports on Monday hinted at a growing inclination in Israel to extend the truce agreement, pending consultations with regional and international stakeholders. The Israeli Channel 12 quoted sources expressing a tendency to accept the extension.
The Egyptian-Qatari cooperation in facilitating the humanitarian truce and detainee exchange between Hamas and Israel has been hailed as a "fruitful and remarkable cooperation." President Abdel Fattah al Sisi commended the efforts of Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani in reaching a humanitarian truce in Gaza.
In response, Emir Tamim thanked President Sisi, highlighting the fruitful cooperation and joint commitment to implementing resolutions for a just and lasting peace in Palestine. Egypt's persistent communication with world leaders underscores the urgency of a sustainable political solution in Gaza, emphasizing a two-state solution with Eastern Jerusalem as the capital.
Egypt's Foreign Minister, Sameh Shoukry, engaged with U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken on Sunday, stressing the need to build on the temporary truce for a "permanent ceasefire and sustainable delivery of aid" in alignment with the UN Security Council resolution issued on November 15.
During discussions at the Union for the Mediterranean ministerial forum in Barcelona, Shoukry reiterated the call for a Palestinian state on the 1967 borders, coexisting peacefully with Israel. The gravity of the situation in Gaza was acknowledged, emphasizing the need to end the 75-year-long occupation.
Health Minister of Gaza, Mai Al Kaila, reported on Monday that the Israeli bombing in the Strip resulted in 16,000 dead and 35,000 injured. She revealed that 6,000 people, including 1,700 children, are missing, and extensive damage to housing units and infrastructure occurred.
Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al Sisi has consistently expressed a firm stance against the violence in Gaza, rejecting collective punishment and emphasizing Egypt's commitment to aiding the Palestinian people. The Rafah crossing, he asserted, was never closed, and efforts to provide aid to Gaza included 12,000 tons transported by 1,300 trucks.
In a speech on November 23, President Sisi affirmed determination to move forward, upholding the historical rights of the Palestinian people and urging the international community to fulfill its responsibilities in de-escalating the crisis.
