At the last Cairo talks, Hamas rejected Israel’s new criteria, stalling Gaza’s ceasefire. The US, Egypt, and Qatar mediated intense conversations, but no compromise was found, prolonging the 10-month-old standoff.
Israel’s insistence on staying in the Philadelphi Corridor, a critical stretch along Gaza’s southern border with Egypt, is the key issue. Hamas insists on a lasting ceasefire, Israeli departure, and Gaza inhabitants’ freedom to return home under a July 2 US-brokered accord.
Since both sides refused to compromise, the talks ended in a deadlock. Even inside his own party, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s uncompromising attitude towards continuing the conflict until Hamas is defeated has garnered criticism. The world community continues to call for a Gaza solution as over 40,000 Palestinians die and millions are displaced.
Increasing regional tensions, especially Israel-Hezbollah conflicts, make the situation dangerous. The world watches eagerly for a ceasefire to relieve Gaza’s suffering populace as time runs out.
Image Credit: https://www.france24.com/en/middle-east/20240824-ceasefire-talks-set-to-resume-in-cairo-as-fighting-rages-in-gaza
