Delegation departs

No agreement at Gaza talks in Cairo

Israeli soldiers in the Gaza Strip

(Bild: APA/AFP/Israeli Army)

According to insiders, the negotiations in Cairo on a ceasefire in the Gaza war failed to produce an agreement on Sunday. Neither Israel nor the radical Islamic Hamas had agreed to the compromises presented by the mediators, said two representatives from Egyptian security circles. A senior US official, however, described the talks as "constructive", with all sides striving to reach "a final and workable agreement".

According to well-informed circles at the airport, the 13-strong Israeli delegation, which had arrived in Cairo hours earlier, left again. The Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani also left the capital, as did the Hamas representatives who had traveled from Doha to be briefed on the progress of the talks.

Hamas demands complete withdrawal of Israeli troops
A senior Hamas representative explained that Israel must commit to the pledges made at the beginning of July and to US President Joe Biden's peace plan. Hamas is prepared to implement the agreements previously made. Any agreements on the war would have to include a permanent ceasefire and a complete withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza.

According to security circles, the question of the extent to which Israeli troops will be allowed to remain stationed in Gaza's border area with Egypt in the event of a ceasefire remains controversial. Israel suspects that Hamas has been supplying itself with weapons via this border. 

The damage in the Gaza Strip is enormous.

(Bild: AFP/Omar Al-Quattaa)

USA seeks ceasefire
The USA once again expressed concern about a possible escalation of the Middle East conflict. At a press conference in Hallifax, White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan warned of a "major war" in the region. The United States is therefore still actively involved in efforts to reach a ceasefire agreement for the Gaza Strip. Sullivan also confirmed that the US government is in constant contact with Israel, particularly with regard to the current tensions with Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Hezbollah attacks did not affect talks
The talks in Cairo were overshadowed by the heavy mutual attacks by Israel and the Hezbollah militia in Lebanon on Sunday morning. However, these attacks did not directly affect the course of the talks, according to security sources.

The prospects of a breakthrough being achieved in the talks in the near future are slim. The USA, Qatar and Egypt, who are mediating between Hamas and Israel, spoke of "serious and constructive" negotiations after the latest round of talks in Doha. There was also talk of a "bridging proposal" to reduce the remaining gaps between Israel and Hamas. The date for a possible new round of negotiations was not initially announced.