By Ibrahim Al-Khazen
CAIRO (AA) - Egypt is intensifying efforts to reach a cease-fire deal between Israel and Palestinian resistance groups in the Gaza Strip, according to an Egyptian source on Tuesday.
The source, however, warned that Israel’s military escalation in the southern city of Rafah undermines the cease-fire negotiations.
“Egypt is determined to continue its efforts to support the Palestinian brothers and preserve their historical rights by all possible means,” the state-run Al-Qahera News channel said, citing a well-placed Egyptian source.
According to the source, an Egyptian security delegation is stepping up efforts “to reactivate the cease-fire and prisoner exchange deal in coordination with Qatar and the US.”
"Egypt reiterates its firm position that it will not coordinate with the Israeli side regarding the Rafah crossing, and will only deal with Palestinian and international parties,” the source added.
At least 72 displaced people were killed in Israeli attacks on refugee tent encampments in Rafah in the last 48 hours, Gaza’s media office said.
“Egypt has informed all involved parties that Israel's insistence on committing ‘massacres’ and escalating in Rafah undermines negotiation pathways and leads to dire consequences,” the source warned.
According to Israeli public broadcaster KAN, Tel Aviv has submitted to Egyptian and Qatari mediators a proposal to renew cease-fire and prisoner swap negotiations with Hamas, with the talks expected to resume next week in Doha.
Hamas accepted a cease-fire proposal drawn by Egypt and Qatar earlier this month, but Israel rejected the draft and decided to launch a ground offensive in Rafah.
Israel seeks a temporary cease-fire while maintaining its military presence in Gaza, as Hamas insists on ending the war, Israeli troop withdrawal, allowing displaced Palestinians to return to their areas, and bringing in sufficient humanitarian aid as part of any prisoner swap deal.
Israel has continued its brutal offensive on the Gaza Strip since Oct. 7, 2023 following a Hamas attack despite a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate cease-fire in the enclave.
Nearly 36,100 Palestinians have since been killed in Gaza, the vast majority being women and children, and over 81,000 others injured, according to local health authorities.
Nearly eight months into the Israeli war, vast swathes of Gaza lay in ruins amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water and medicine.
Israel stands accused of “genocide” at the International Court of Justice, which in its latest ruling has ordered Tel Aviv to immediately halt its operation in Rafah, where over a million Palestinians had sought refuge from the war before it was invaded on May 6.
*Writing by Mohammad Sio