By Janet Ekstract ISTANBUL- A ceasefire in Gaza is on the forefront of everyone’s mind especially since reports that Hamas has suspended talks with Israel for a prisoner swap deal, according to Qatari officials who are mediating as they informed Israeli officials on Thursday. Israel’s public broadcasting station KAN reported: “Hamas told Qatari mediators that it demands a full Israeli troop withdrawal from the Gaza Strip and end to the war on the first stage of any prisoner swap deal.” Intense mediation efforts have been ongoing and just when a deal appears imminent, it falls through. The urgency of a ceasefire is bringing top officials together this weekend in an, as yet undisclosed location, for talks on the matter, according to a Reuters report. Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani will meet the U.S. CIA Director William Burns and Israel’s head of Mossad, David Barnea and Egypt’s intelligence chief Abbas Kamel. U.S. and Israeli intelligence heads have met before with Qatari and Egyptian officials on negotiations for a ceasefire and hostage release. White House national security spokesperson John Kirby told reporters that the CIA’s director “has been…involved in helping us with the hostage deal that was in place and trying to help us pursue another one.” The CIA hasn’t commented on the upcoming meeting.
Meanwhile, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) is expected to rule on Friday, on the case of genocide that South Africa brought against Israel. On Thursday, Hamas said it will abide by the ICJ ruling calling for a ceasefire as long as Israel abides by it. According to previous press reports, there was talk of a temporary two-month ceasefire since both Israel and the U.S. do not support a full ceasefire despite the U.N. chief’s condemnations and global outrage at the incessant attacks on civilian targets. On Thursday, an attack on a U.N. shelter in Khan Younis was widely condemned around the world. After the weekend talks, Qatar’s prime minister Al Thani is scheduled to visit Washington next week and is slated to speak at the Atlantic Council, according to its website. In addition, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has been instrumental in urging a full ceasefire and Turkiye has brought badly injured Gazans to the country for medical treatment.
Photo : AA
