Egypt was reportedly in talks with senior Hamas and Israeli officials as well as other mediators, on Sunday (Mar 10) to relaunch talks for a Gaza Strip truce during Ramadan.
Citing sources, the Reuters news agency, reported that Egypt’s contacts with Hamas and Israeli intelligence agency Mossad on Sunday were carried out under a mandate from the Egyptian presidency to bring the two sides’ divergent positions together.
This development comes even as Qatar, Egypt, and the United States have been attempting to reach an agreement for a ceasefire during Ramadan in exchange for the release of Israeli hostages, who were abducted during October 7 strikes.
The most recent round of discussions, which did not include Israel, ended this week in Cairo.
Israel’s intelligence agency Mossad said on Saturday that efforts are being made to secure a deal on a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.
David Barnea, who is Mossad chief, met on Friday with his US counterpart, CIA Director William Burns, to promote a deal that would see hostages released.
In a statement, which was distributed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office, Mossad said that US President Joe Biden said on Saturday that Burns remained in the region.
“Contacts and cooperation with the mediators continue all the time to narrow the gaps and reach agreements,” Mossad said in the statement.
Israel and Hamas, the militant Islamist group that rules the Palestinian enclave and has been locked in a war with Israeli forces since its deadly October 7 rampage in southern Israel, have traded blame over the apparent deadlock in talks in the run-up to Ramadan, which begins on or around March 10.
Watch: US President Biden says ‘Israel can’t have 30,000 more Palestinians dead’
First day of Ramadan this year
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has declared Monday (Mar 11) as the first day of Ramadan this year. The UAE’s Moon-sighting committee said on Sunday that the crescent Moon was spotted on Sunday evening.
Disclaimer: WION takes utmost care to accurately and responsibly report ongoing developments on the Israel-Palestine conflict after the Hamas attacks. However, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos.
(With inputs from agencies)
