Qatar, Egypt exert pressure on Hamas leadership for ceasefire
Tel Aviv: After the indirect peace talks between Israel and Hamas held in Cairo fell apart, Qatar and Egypt are putting pressure on the militant outfit, Hamas, to accept a ceasefire deal with immediate effect.
The talks were held on Sunday. Media has reported that Qatar Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani has categorically informed Hamas leader Khalil Al Hiyya — considered the closest to the elusive Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar — to accept the ceasefire deal.
Sources in the Egyptian government told IANS that Intelligence head Major General Abbas Kalem has also communicated to the Hamas leadership, including Khalil Al Hiyya and Osama Hamdan, to accept the ceasefire proposal put forward by the US mediators.
It may be recalled that even after the back-to-back indirect peace talks held in Doha and Cairo during the past couple of weeks, the truce has not been achieved.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who had met the Israeli leadership as well as the Qatar Prime Minister and Egypt President Abdel Fattah El-Sissi, has also put pressure on the mediators to reach a ceasefire deal.
It is to be noted that after the assassination of Hamas political bureau chief and chief negotiator, Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran on July 31, the communication channel with the militant outfit has considerably eroded. Hamas is currently headed by Yahya Sinwar — who is reportedly in hiding in one of the numerous tunnel networks of the Hamas in Gaza strip.
The media has reported that Sinwar has stopped using all electronic modes of communication, including satellite phones, and that he was communicating with the Hamas leadership through a human intelligence network. This mode of communication, according to the media, has led to considerable time in getting a response from Sinwar.
The Israel side has held on to its position that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) would continue in the Philadelphi Corridor and Netzarim Corridor. The chief negotiator of Israel, Mossad chief David Barnea and Shin Bet head Ronen Bar are back in Israel after communicating the country‘s avowed position regarding the ceasefire.
Israel media has reported that the Israeli negotiators would on Monday brief Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Yoav Gallant on the discussions that transpired in Cairo.
Meanwhile, the Hostages and Missing Forum of Israel has demanded the government bring back the hostages who are in the custody of Hamas in Gaza.
On October 7, 2023, Hamas men swarmed into southern Israel killing 1,200 people, kidnapped 251 and kept them as hostages in the Gaza strip. Of this 111 are still in Gaza and Israel has officially announced that 39 of these hostages are dead.