Egypt and Qatar, which previously acted as mediators in securing a ceasefire deal between Israel and the radical Palestinian movement Hamas, are intensively working to restore the truce that was broken by Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip on March 18. This was reported by The Washington Post (WP), citing sources.
According to these sources, Cairo and Doha are urging both parties to immediately agree to a ceasefire, as the number of Palestinian casualties in recent days has exceeded 500 people. Egyptian mediators have already presented Hamas with a new proposal for a deal.
The sources also noted that Egypt was unable to obtain a response from the United States after the resumption of Israeli attacks on Gaza. US President Donald Trump, in turn, supported Israel's military operation in the enclave, stating that it was aimed at "liberating all hostages."
The efforts of Egypt and Qatar to persuade Israel to halt the fighting will only be effective if the United States pressures the Jewish state to resume the ceasefire, one of the sources stated. Otherwise, the conflict is likely to continue.
Middle Eastern experts interviewed by the newspaper believe that the strikes could be a signal from Israel that it is no longer interested in negotiations. The destruction of the political leadership of Hamas, which was also responsible for the negotiations on hostages' release, may lead to the fragmentation of the movement, resulting in the hostages not being freed at all.
On March 18, the Israeli army carried out massive airstrikes on the Gaza Strip. The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu explained the strikes as a response to Hamas's refusal to accept the proposals put forward during negotiations mediated by US special envoy Steve Witkoff. The Israeli government stated that the operation’s goal was the release of all hostages. Hamas accused Israel and the United States of sabotaging the ceasefire, asserting that it had adhered to the truce. According to Gaza's Ministry of Health, over 590 people have been killed, and more than 1,000 others have been wounded in the Israeli strikes.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: Georgia National Guard/Creative Commons 2.0
Based on TASS materials