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by IANS |
Cairo, Jan 15 (IANS) Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said that it's time for Israel and Hamas to demonstrate the political will to swiftly reach a ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip, "which could have been reached several months ago, sparing civilians and innocents from the fate they have faced."
Abdelatty made the remarks on Tuesday during a joint press conference with Luxembourg's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Xavier Bettel in Cairo, where they discussed regional issues and bilateral ties, Xinhua news agency reported.
The Egyptian foreign minister said that Egypt is working with Qatar and the US to accelerate reaching an Israel-Hamas deal. "We hope that will be soon," he told reporters.
He pointed out that the anticipated deal "would include the release of Israeli hostages as well as the release of a group of Palestinian detainees and prisoners. It would also ensure full access to humanitarian and medical aid for the Gaza Strip."
Doha has been hosting negotiations since early January to reach a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, whose fighting has been going on for over 15 months. The talks included delegations from the two warring parties and the three mediators: Qatar, Egypt, and the US.
Abdelatty noted that Egypt is prepared to host an international conference on the reconstruction of Gaza when the circumstances are conducive following a ceasefire.
He reiterated Egypt's support for the two-state solution to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the establishment of a Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital.
Cairo, Doha, and Washington mediated a week-long truce between Israel and Hamas in late November 2023, including a swap between Palestinian prisoners and Israeli hostages and more humanitarian aid delivery to Gaza. Yet, later mediation efforts to reach a ceasefire agreement have been fruitless.
Hamas said earlier Tuesday that the ongoing Doha talks on a Gaza ceasefire and prisoner exchange deal have reached their "final stages." Meanwhile, an Israeli official told Xinhua on condition of anonymity that "only final details" remain to be worked out in the deal.
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