Falcon powers – Egyptian media reports today, Thursday, have indicated “positive progress” in negotiations aimed at reaching an agreement for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, amid intensive contacts conducted by Cairo with all parties involved.
The Cairo News Channel quoted a high-level Egyptian source as saying that the negotiations are witnessing “positive progress” and that “Egypt is engaged in intensive communications with all parties” in this regard.
An informed source familiar with the negotiations had stated last Tuesday that a deal between Israel and the Hamas movement is imminent and could be reached within a few days if some obstacles hindering implementation are resolved quickly.
The source, close to the mediators, revealed that the Egyptian proposal is acceptable to both parties, but the issue revolves around the number of prisoners held by Hamas in certain age groups and the functional nature of those to be released as part of the proposal.
Last Saturday, the Hamas movement announced that it had received the Israeli response to its position, which was delivered to Egyptian and Qatari mediators on April 13, stating that it would “study this proposal and provide its response once the study is completed.”
Egypt had sent a delegation to Israel last Friday to resume stalled negotiations amidst escalating fighting in the Gaza Strip. Mediators (Egypt, Qatar, and the United States) are attempting to reach a new ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip following the initial agreement that lasted for a week at the end of last November.
