Multilateral consultations aimed at resolving the situation in the Gaza Strip and achieving a ceasefire between the Palestinian movement Hamas and Israel concluded without reaching any agreement, as reported by Al Jazeera.
The talks in Cairo, involving mediators, did not result in an agreement, with the Israeli side rejecting Hamas' demands "for a permanent ceasefire, the withdrawal of army units from the Gaza Strip, and the unconditional return of displaced persons."
Al Arabiya reported that the participants in the Cairo meetings were working on a ceasefire to be implemented at least in the first week of Ramadan, which this year falls on March 11. Israel was expected to respond to Hamas' demands for a clear timeframe for presenting its vision of the situation to finalize the talks.
Earlier, the negotiating parties, representing Egypt, Qatar, and the US, had offered to impose a week-long ceasefire in exchange for the release of several elderly hostages held in the enclave. However, Hamas supporters disagreed with the proposal for a short pause in fighting and insisted that the ceasefire last as long as possible.
The Cairo talks on a truce in the Palestinian enclave have been ongoing since March 3, with the Israeli delegation not participating in this round of consultations. On March 4, the Egyptian TV channel Al-Ghad quoted a source as saying that the negotiating parties had made "significant progress" during the first day of consultations and were aiming to reach a ceasefire agreement before Ramadan.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: Al Jazeera English/Creative Commons 2.0
Based on materials from TASS