Egyptian-Israeli talks in Cairo seeking Gaza cease-fire, prisoner exchange stall

By Anadolu staff

Thursday's negotiations between Egyptian and Israeli delegations in Cairo seeking a Gaza cease-fire and a prisoner exchange deal with Hamas failed to progress, reported Israeli media on Friday.

The Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation reported that the talks, which were aimed at securing a cease-fire in Gaza and the exchange of prisoners between Israel and Hamas, “made no progress,” leaving the situation at a standstill.

The latest round of mediated negotiations ended on Aug. 16 in Doha, Qatar with the US presenting the parties with what the White House described as a "final bridging proposal" that it put on the table for Israel and Hamas, claiming it is consistent with the principles supported by Biden on May 31.

The details of the proposal remain shrouded in secrecy.

But Hamas has since rejected the proposal, saying it aligns with Netanyahu’s new conditions.

For months, the US, Qatar and Egypt have been trying to reach an agreement between Israel and Hamas to ensure a prisoner exchange and cease-fire and allow humanitarian aid to enter Gaza. But mediation efforts have been stalled due to Netanyahu’s refusal to meet Hamas’s demands to stop the war.

Israel has continued its brutal offensive on the Gaza Strip following an attack by the Palestinian group Hamas last Oct. 7, despite a UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate cease-fire.

The onslaught has resulted in over 40,200 Palestinian deaths, mostly women and children, and over 93,000 injuries, according to local health authorities.

An ongoing blockade of Gaza has led to severe shortages of food, clean water and medicine, leaving much of the region in ruins.

Israel faces accusations of genocide at the International Court of Justice, which has ordered a halt to military operations in the southern city of Rafah, where over one million Palestinians had sought refuge before the area was invaded on May 6.

*Writing by Ikram Kouachi in Ankara