US, Qatar and Egypt: Gaza truce talks must resume with ‘no excuses’ for further delay

Gaza (Quds News Network)- The United States, Egypt and Qatar have called on Israel and Hamas to resume urgent negotiations in order to reach a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, saying there were no excuses “from any party for further delay”.

The leaders of the three countries, which have been trying to mediate a deal, said in a joint statement on Thursday the talks could take place in either Doha or Cairo on 15 August, adding that it was “time to bring immediate relief both to the longsuffering people of Gaza as well as the longsuffering hostages and their families.”

The leaders said a “framework agreement is now on the table with only the details of implementation left to conclude,” and offered to present “a final bridging proposal” resolving the remaining issues.

Moments after the release of the statement, prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israeli negotiators would be there. The aim, he said, was “to finalize the details and implement the framework agreement.”

The joint statement comes amid months of failed attempts to reach a ceasefire in Gaza, where Israel’s military aggression has killed at least 39,699 Palestinians and injured 91,722 others since October 7.

The statement also came as the Israeli military issued evacuation orders to Palestinian residents in several towns and neighborhoods in eastern Khan Yunis. People in Khan Yunis have been forcibly ordered to evacuate multiple times throughout the war, as the city suffered Israeli assaults.

Moreover, regional tensions have soared since Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh was assassinated on 31 July in Iran, in an attack Tehran and Hamas blamed on Israel. Retaliation has been expected, raising fears of possible broader tensions in the region.

The assassination of Haniyeh – who had been a key figure in the talks – was seen by many as an effort by Netanyahu’s government to scuttle efforts to negotiate an end to the war.

The statement was singed by US President Joe Biden, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and Qatar’s Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.

A senior US official said the joint statement from US, Qatari and Egyptian leaders was not designed to influence Iran, but that any escalation would jeopardize hope of getting a deal done, The Guardian reported.

The official said there was no expectation that the ceasefire agreement would be signed by next week given serious issues that include the sequencing of the exchanges between Hamas and Israel. Movement was needed on both sides of the table, the person said.

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