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Blinken continues diplomatic efforts in Egypt ahead of the resumption of negotiations in Cairo [1]

['Redazione Agenzia Nova']

Date: 2024-08-20 16:01:41+00:00

The US Secretary of State's diplomatic efforts continued in Egypt Antony Blinken for reaching a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, in view of the talks between the mediators which will be held in Cairo on Thursday and Friday. After stopping in the Jewish state yesterday to meet with the Israeli leadership, Blinken met with the Egyptian president Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and the counterpart Badr Abdelatty.





At the center of the talks was the proposed agreement presented last Friday by the United States during negotiations hosted by Qatar in Doha. Blinken informed Al Sisi of the results of his visit to Israel, underlining the United States' commitment to reaching an agreement with the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas that would put an end to the war in Gaza. The Egyptian president reiterated that the time has come to insist on diplomatic work, highlighting the risk of a regional expansion of the conflict. During the meeting, Al Sisi also stated that the ceasefire should be the first step towards international recognition of the Palestinian state and the implementation of the two-state solution, in order to guarantee stability in the region.

The position expressed by Al Sisi was also reiterated by the Egyptian Foreign Minister Abdelatty. During the meeting with Blinken, Abdelatty underlined that to achieve stability in the Middle East region, a "permanent and just solution" on the Palestinian issue is needed, with the "creation of an independent Palestinian state on the basis of the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as capital." “Egypt does not intend to retreat from its position on the Rafah crossing,” the Egyptian minister further stated, adding that Israeli forces should withdraw from the border area with the Palestinian enclave. Precisely the issue relating to Israel's complete withdrawal from the Gaza Strip continues to be one of the obstacles to achieving a ceasefire and the release of the hostages still in the hands of Hamas. During a meeting with the hostages' families, the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu He reiterated that Israel's forces "will not withdraw from the Philadelphia Corridor under any circumstances." Even if an agreement were to be reached, the prime minister underlined, after 42 days operations in Gaza "will resume until the destruction of Hamas". “Military pressure will continue. It is the only thing that pushes Hamas to retreat from its unreasonable demands,” Netanyahu added.

The Israeli prime minister, as Blinken explained yesterday after the meeting in the Jewish state, which lasted three hours, nevertheless confirmed Israel's support for the "bridge proposal" supported by the United States to conclude a ceasefire agreement and release of the hostages in Gaza. “Now it is up to Hamas to do the same,” Netanyahu reportedly told Blinken. Meanwhile, in the last few hours, the Palestinian Islamist movement has defined the statements of the president of the United States as "misleading" Joe Biden that Hamas had “backtracked” on the ceasefire agreement with Israel in the Gaza Strip. In a statement, Hamas underlined its desire to reach an agreement, confirming its commitment to the US- and UN-backed ceasefire proposal presented in June. However, the Islamist group reported that the plan put forward by the US and Israel last Friday in Doha - the details of which are not known - includes new provisions that contradict the previous framework. By changing the terms, the United States demonstrates “blind partiality” towards Israel, “acquiesces to its demands” and allows it to “commit further crimes against defenseless civilians, in pursuit of the goal of exterminating and displacing our people,” he said. Hamas said.

Previously, Hamas had once again accused Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu of hindering the achievement of an agreement. In a note released "after having listened to the mediators on what happened in the talks in Doha", the Palestinian Islamist movement stated that "Netanyahu is posing new conditions to sabotage the negotiations, including maintaining control over the Philadelphia Corridor, the Rafah and the Netzarim Corridor". According to Hamas, the Israeli prime minister "bears full responsibility" in the event of a derailment of the potential agreement. It is not yet clear whether representatives of Hamas, who were absent from the discussions in the Qatari capital, will resume direct participation in the negotiations in Cairo although they have indicated their willingness to hold subsequent consultations with mediators from Qatar, Egypt and the United States.

For his part, Netanyahu assured Blinken that the head of the Mossad, David Barnea, the director of the Shin Bet Ronen Bar and retired colonel of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Nitzan Alon, responsible for managing the hostage situation in Gaza. All three have already taken part in the discussions that took place in Doha.

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[1] Url: https://www.agenzianova.com/en/news/blinken-continues-diplomatic-efforts-in-Egypt-in-view-of-the-resumption-of-negotiations-in-Cairo/

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