Israel says that its intelligence chief went to Cairo on Tuesday, February 13 (24th century) to discuss with its Egyptian and American counterparts about the ceasefire proposal in Gaza.
An Israeli official told AFP on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the conversation that Mossad chief David Burnia will meet with the head of the US Central Intelligence Agency, William Burns.
Qatar’s Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani is also participating in these talks in Cairo, the capital of Egypt. Al-Thani has also mediated in past ceasefires in Gaza.
Sources in Washington confirmed on Monday that Burns had gone to Cairo to negotiate a ceasefire proposal brokered by Qatar.
These talks come after Israel rejected a cease-fire offer by the ruling Hamas group in Gaza last week.
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Joe Biden is pushing for a six-week pause in the Gaza war
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has promised to continue military operations to destroy Hamas by sending troops to Rafah, the southern city of Gaza. About 1.4 million Palestinians fleeing the war in other parts of Gaza have taken refuge in Rafah.
US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said on Monday that the US “does not support extensive military operations” without a “credible plan” to rescue civilians in Rafah.
Miller’s comments came hours after Israeli forces said they had freed two Hamas hostages in Rafah. According to the Ministry of Health under the control of Hamas, during this operation, around 100 Palestinians were killed in aerial bombardment.
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Israel rescued two hostages in Rafah but killed dozens of Palestinians
Hamas has said that many hostages have been killed in recent Israeli airstrikes on Gaza. This claim by Hamas has not been independently verified.
According to Israeli officials, Hamas militants killed nearly 1,200 people and took 250 hostages in an attack in Israel on October 7. In response to this attack, Israel launched air and ground operations in Gaza to destroy Hamas.
After the November ceasefire between the two sides, about 130 hostages remain in Gaza, of which 29 have been killed, according to Israeli officials.
According to the Health Ministry of Hamas, at least 28,473 people, mostly women and children, were killed in the Israeli military operation.