From the Liveblog of
Friday, August 23, 2024
Egypt to pass revised hostage-truce offer to Hamas tomorrow after ‘constructive’ talks in Cairo – report
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A high-level Israeli negotiating team returned from “constructive” talks to secure a hostage-ceasefire deal with Hamas in Cairo late last night, Army Radio reports, citing an unnamed source familiar with the issue.
According to the report, progress was made in closing gaps with Cairo over the Rafah Border Crossing, which has been shuttered since Israel occupied the Palestinian side of the Gaza-Egypt border in May.
Egypt will reportedly pass the amended sections regarding the crossing, along with arrangements for the Philadephi Corridor, the buffer zone that separates Egypt from Israel and Gaza Strip. Army Radio says Cairo had refused to pass the US bridging offer, presented by Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Doha last week, until after yesterday’s talks.
The source quoted by Army Radio adds that US and Egyptian negotiators are working around the clock to get the Palestinian terror group to participate in the next round of indirect negotiations, likely on Sunday.
The Israeli team was led by Mossad chief David Barnea and Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar and included Maj. Gen. Eliezer Toledano, head of the IDF General Staff Strategy and Third-Circle Directorate, according to the report.
The Times of Israel Community.