Israel Discusses 'Hamas Ceasefire' with Egypt

Israeli Foreign Minister Visits Cairo for First Time in 13 Years... Holds Talks with Egyptian Foreign Minister
Egyptian Foreign Minister: "All Actions Undermining Middle East Peace Must Be Avoided"
Israeli Embassy in Egypt: "Will Discuss Ceasefire with Hamas and Prisoner Release"

Gabi Ashkenazi, Israeli Foreign Minister (left), and Sameh Shoukry, Egyptian Foreign Minister (right)
[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Suhwan] The Israeli Foreign Minister held high-level talks with Egypt, the mediator, to negotiate a ceasefire with the Palestinian armed group Hamas.

On the 30th (local time), according to AP News and Al Jazeera, Israeli Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi visited Cairo and met with Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry. This marks the first visit by a senior Israeli diplomat to Egypt in 13 years since 2008.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Shoukry confirmed the meeting in a statement, saying, "Issues concerning East Jerusalem, the Al-Aqsa Mosque, and all Islamic and Christian holy sites are particularly sensitive," and explained, "We held today's meeting to address these issues."

Mahmoud Abbas, Head of the Palestinian Authority (PA)
[Photo by AP Yonhap News]

An Egyptian Foreign Ministry spokesperson said after the meeting, "Minister Shoukry called for creating an atmosphere conducive to the resumption of serious and constructive negotiations between both sides and urged refraining from any means that would undermine efforts for peace in the Middle East."

They also reportedly discussed the release of Israeli civilians and soldiers detained by Palestinians. After the meeting, Minister Ashkenazi tweeted, "We must work to prevent the rise of extremists threatening regional stability and to bring back the missing and prisoners held by Hamas."

The Israeli Embassy in Egypt also tweeted before the meeting that "the foreign ministers of both countries will discuss the ceasefire with Hamas and the release of Israeli soldiers and civilians detained by Hamas."

Currently, Hamas is holding two Israeli civilians along with the bodies of two Israeli soldiers who died during the 2014 Gaza conflict.

Hamas stated that its leader, Ismail Haniyeh, will visit Cairo within this week and may discuss prisoner exchange negotiations with Israel.

Minister Ashkenazi also criticized the Palestinian Authority's move to file a lawsuit against the Israeli government at the International Criminal Court (ICC) for war crimes related to the 2014 Gaza conflict, saying it does not help negotiations between the two sides. The ICC is currently investigating war crime allegations against both Israel and Hamas.

Additionally, Egypt dispatched Abbas Kamel, head of the Egyptian General Intelligence Directorate (EGID), to Israel and the Palestinian Authority.

Benjamin Netanyahu, Prime Minister of Israel [Photo by AP Yonhap News]

At a meeting with Director Kamel, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu emphasized the need to resolve the release of Israeli soldiers and civilians held by Hamas and to prevent Hamas's influence from growing.

Egyptian state news agency MENA reported that Kamel is also scheduled to meet Mahmoud Abbas, head of the Palestinian Authority (PA), in Ramallah in the West Bank to deliver a letter from President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi expressing full support for Palestine.

The Palestinian Authority is an observer state at the United Nations (UN), and the U.S. government has supported the PA led by Abbas as the de facto government of Palestine.

AP News added that Egypt will arrange meetings among Palestinian factions to promote unity between the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

Earlier, Israeli authorities forcibly entered the Al-Aqsa Mosque, a holy site in East Jerusalem, banning most Muslim Palestinian citizens from worship, which sparked public outrage and large-scale protests. Israeli police harshly suppressed Palestinian protesters, and in retaliation, Hamas launched rocket attacks on Israel on the 10th.

In response, Israel deployed fighter jets to carry out intense bombings on the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip, leading to armed clashes between the two sides. The 11-day conflict resulted in 248 Palestinian civilian deaths in Gaza, 12 deaths in Israel, and over 2,000 injuries on both sides.

Palestinian citizens cheering after the ceasefire with Israel [Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

Both sides entered an unconditional ceasefire at dawn on the 21st under Egypt's mediation, but they have warned that they may resume attacks if provoked by the other side at any time.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.