US President Joe Biden in a letter to the leaders of Egypt and Qatar urged to pressure Hamas to strike a deal with Israel to free hostages being held in Gaza by the Palestinian Islamist movement, a senior US official said late Friday night.
Earlier, Biden had announced that Israel was implementing a series of steps requested by the United States in relation to increase the transfer of aid to Gaza, following the telephone conversation with the Israeli prime minister.
When asked if there were pressures in regards to cuts of military aid to Israel during their conversation, US President Joe Biden replied as he left the White House: “I asked them to do what they’re doing right now.”
The head of the CIA goes to Cairo
CIA director is expected to travel to Cairo this weekend for talks on a ceasefire and to discuss the release of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza, a territory that has been besieged and bombed by Israel for nearly six months, US media reported today.
Washington announced its latest effort following pressures on Israel’s prime minister to conclude a truce agreement “without delay” against the background of pressure from the international community in the face of the humanitarian disaster in Gaza.
US intelligence director Bill Burns will meet with his Israeli counterpart, Mossad chief David Barnea, as well as Egyptian and Qatari officials, the New York Times reported who, according to the Axios news site, will be Qatari Prime Minister Mohamaed bin Abdelrahman Al-Thani and Egyptian intelligence chief Abbas Kamel.
Negotiations stalled
In recent weeks, the negotiations taking place in Doha and Cairo have remained at a standstill.
The Gaza Strip has been the scene of the devastating Israel-Hamas war which is nearing its six-month mark that erupted following the Palestinian Islamist movement’s unprecedented attack on Israeli soil on October 7.
At least 33,091 people, mostly civilians, have been killed according to the latest numbers announced yesterday by the Hamas Health Ministry.
The Hamas attack has resulted in the death of 1,170 people on the Israeli side, mostly civilians were killed, according to a French Agency count based on official Israeli figures.
More than 250 people were kidnapped during the attack and taken hostage to the Gaza Strip, where 130 remain there, among them, according to the Israeli army, 34 are said to be dead.
Israel is under increasing international pressure due to the destruction raging in Palestinian territory and the dire consequences for the 2.4 million residents of the Gaza Strip who are in imminent threat of mass starvation.
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