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CAIRO. — Egypt said yesterday that Israel and Hamas were expected to pause their fighting in the Gaza Strip from today for humanitarian purposes.
Egypt’s State Information Service Chairman Diaa Rashwan made the remarks shortly after the Qatari Foreign Ministry said “the start of the pause agreed upon will be announced within the next few hours.”
Rashwan said that “according to the path of Egyptian contacts and consultations, the truce, with all its conditions, was expected to enter into force starting tomorrow (today).”
He pointed out that Egypt is continuing talks with all concerned parties to fasten the implementation of the humanitarian truce, noting the consultations now focus on finalising “the truce’s detailed execution procedures.”
Earlier, Qatar News Agency cited the country’s Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Majed al-Ansari as saying that work was ongoing with both parties and with Qatar’s mediating partners Egypt and the United States “to ensure a rapid start of the pause and provide what is necessary to ensure the parties’ adherence to the agreement.”
Israel and Hamas on Wednesday initially agreed to enact a four-day temporary ceasefire in Gaza, starting yesterday, for a swap of at least 50 hostages kidnapped in Gaza and some 150 Palestinian detainees held in Israel, as well as for more humanitarian aid to enter the war-stricken Palestinian enclave.
However, in an announcement late Wednesday, Israel’s National Security Council Director Tzachi Hanegbi said the deal would not, as expected, come into effect on Thursday, while the Israeli strikes were going on overnight in Gaza.
Gaza has been under massive Israeli siege and bombardment since October 7, which has killed so far more than 14 000 Palestinians.
The Israeli escalation came in retaliation for an attack by Hamas that killed about 1 200 in Israel, with Hamas taking more than 200 as hostages. — Xinhua
Online Reporter