Israeli, Qatari delegations arrive in Cairo for Gaza ceasefire talks

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
27 Feb 2025 22:19

Delegations sent by Qatar and the Israeli occupation have landed in Egypt as they prepare to hold talks on the future of the ceasefire in Gaza.

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Destroyed buildings in the Gaza Strip as seen from southern occupied Palestine, Tuesday, February 25, 2025. (AP)

The Egyptian State Information Service announced on Thursday that delegations from the Israeli occupation and Qatar have arrived in Cairo to continue negotiations on a ceasefire in Gaza, with the participation of US representatives.

According to the statement, intensive discussions are underway to outline the next phases of the truce agreement, as mediators work to ensure the implementation of agreed-upon terms.

The negotiations also include efforts to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza, aiming to "alleviate the suffering of civilians and support regional stability."

This comes after Israeli Knesset member Benny Gantz on Thursday criticized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, stating that the idea of extending the first phase of the prisoner exchange deal stems from "partisan interests."

He stressed that the Israeli occupation's true priority should be to swiftly secure the release of more living captives, as their lives are in danger and time is working in Hamas' favor, allowing it to rearm and strengthen its political position.

During a tour in northern occupied Palestine, Gantz addressed Netanyahu directly, saying, "Prime Minister, stop wasting time. All captives must be returned, and Hamas must be confronted without our hands tied. Extending the timeframe only strengthens Hamas."

'Israel' not to withdraw from Philadelphi Corridor

Gantz’s remarks come as the first phase of the deal nears its conclusion amid reports that Netanyahu intends to prolong it instead of moving to the second phase, particularly after leaks suggesting that Israeli forces will not withdraw from the Philadelphi Corridor in Gaza.

Meanwhile, Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid warned, "If we do not proceed with the deal now, all the captives will die. We must not allow that to happen."

In a related development, Netanyahu’s office announced that he had instructed a negotiation team to travel to Cairo on Thursday to continue talks on the deal.

This comes after the Palestinian Resistance, on Wednesday night, released the seventh batch of Palestinian prisoners, which included 620 detainees, following the handover of the remains of four Israelis to the International Committee of the Red Cross.

Netanyahu delays deal

The Israeli government has postponed the release of Palestinian detainees who were set to be freed on Saturday under the ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement.

Early on Sunday, after hours of stalling, the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Palestinian prisoners' release will be delayed indefinitely. Netanyahu pointed to the celebratory events arranged by the Resistance before handing over Israeli captives to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), as the reason behind the decision.

"In light of the repeated violations by Hamas — including the ceremonies that demean our hostages and the cynical use of our hostages for propaganda purposes — it has been decided to delay the release of terrorists planned for yesterday until the next release of hostages is guaranteed, and without the degrading ceremonies," Netanyahu said.