Article 1 of 3 Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, Deir Al-Balah, August 25, 2024. REUTERS/Ramadan Abed
CAIRO/WASHINGTON, Aug 25 (Reuters) – Gaza ceasefire talks held in Cairo on Sunday failed to produce an agreement, with neither Hamas nor Israel agreeing to several compromises put forward by mediators, two Egyptian security sources said, casting doubt on the prospects of success in the latest U.S.-backed attempt to end the 10-month war.
However, a senior US official described the talks as “constructive” and said they were conducted by all sides in the spirit of reaching “a final and workable agreement”.
“The process will continue in working groups in the coming days to clarify the remaining questions and details,” said the official, who asked not to be identified, adding that the teams would remain in Cairo.
Months of on-and-off talks have so far failed to produce an agreement on ending Israel’s devastating military operation in Gaza or releasing the last hostages captured by Hamas in its October 7 attack on Israel that sparked the war.
At a press conference in Halifax, Canada, US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said Washington was still working “feverishly” in Cairo on a ceasefire and a hostage agreement.
Israel has also expressed reservations about several Palestinian prisoners whose release Hamas is demanding and demanded that they leave the Gaza Strip if they are released, the sources added.
Since Thursday, there have been intensive exchanges between the Israeli, United States and Egyptian teams to reduce remaining differences, the senior U.S. official said, in preparation for Saturday when Qatar and Egypt will meet with senior Hamas officials to go over the proposal in detail.
On Sunday, senior Israeli politicians took part in the talks to clarify outstanding issues with the help of mediators, the senior US official said, but did not give a definitive assessment of whether there had been a breakthrough or not.
Hamas said Israel had backed down from its commitment to withdraw troops from the corridor and had set new conditions, including screening displaced Palestinians when they return to the more densely populated north of the enclave after the ceasefire begins.
“We will not accept any discussions about withdrawing from what we agreed on July 2 or about new conditions,” Hamas official Osama Hamdan told the group’s Al-Aqsa television station on Sunday.
In July, Hamas accepted a US proposal to begin talks on the release of Israeli hostages, including soldiers and men, 16 days after the first phase of a deal to end the Gaza war, a senior Hamas source told Reuters.
A Hamas delegation left Cairo on Sunday after holding talks with mediators, senior Hamas official Izzat El-Reshiq said, adding that the group reiterated its demand that any agreement must include a permanent ceasefire and a complete Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.
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Reporting by Steve Holland, Ahmed Mohammed Hassan, Ahmed Tolba, Nidal Al-Mughrabi and Trevor Hunnicutt in Halifax, Canada; writing by Hatem Maher and Humeyra Pamuk; editing by Hugh Lawson and Sandra Maler
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