• US sees chances of truce, but says ‘not there yet’
• GCC summit seeks permanent end to military operations
• Kuwait assails ‘double standards’ in application of laws
• Israel opposes Hamas rule in besieged enclave

CAIRO: Hamas leaders held talks with Egyptian security officials on Sunday in a fresh push for a ceasefire in the Gaza conflict, two Hamas sources said.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was set to convene his security cabinet on the matter, two Israeli officials said.

The Hamas visit to Cairo was the first since the US announced it would revive efforts in collaboration with Qatar, Egypt and Turkiye to negotiate a ceasefire, that would include a prisoner deal.

White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said he thought the chances of a ceasefire and prisoner deal in Gaza were now more likely.

“(Hamas) are isolated. Hezbollah is no longer fighting with them, and their backers in Iran and elsewhere are preoccupied with other conflicts,” he told CNN on Sunday.

“So I think we may have a chance to make progress, but I’m not going to predict exactly when it will happen … we’ve come so close so many times and not gotten across the finish line.” He said White House is working on the ceasefire and prisoners swap deal but is “not there yet”.

“We are working actively to try to make it happen. We are engaged deeply with the key players in the region, and there is activity even today,” said Sullivan told NBC.

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Sullivan’s comments came a day after Israel hit Hezbollah targets in Lebanon, days into a fragile ceasefire in its conflict with the group.

Speaking in Jerusalem, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said there were “indications” progress could be made on a deal securing the release of prisoners.

“There are signs we may see a greater degree of flexibility from Hamas as a result of circumstances that have developed, including the agreement with Lebanon,” he said.

“There is a desire to move forward on this. I hope it can progress. We are committed to the return of the hostages — it’s a responsibility we must uphold.”

Saar asserted, however, that Hamas “cannot be allowed” to continue to rule Gaza.

GCC meting

A summit of the Gulf Coope­ration Council (GCC) leaders also urged an immediate ceasefire in Gaza on Sunday, following calls for a truce by host Kuwait after nearly 14 months of Israeli atrocities in Palestinian territory.

In the final statement of the summit, the six-member body called for an “immediate and permanent cessation of Israeli fire and military operations” as well as “the delivery of all humanitarian and relief aid and basic needs to the residents of Gaza”.

Earlier, Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Meshal al-Ahmad al-Sabah called on the international community to implement “an immediate ceasefire, providing international protection for innocent civilians and ensuring the opening of safe corridors and the arrival of urgent humanitarian aid”.

The summit was also attended by Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, UAE Vice President Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Bahraini Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, and Oman’s Deputy Prime Minister Fahd bin Mahmoud Al Said.

In his address, Sheikh Meshal hit out at what he characterised as the “double standards in the application of relevant international laws, charters and resolutions” which he said had undermined “the region’s security and stability”.

Israel’s military offensive in Gaza has killed more than 44,400 people and displaced nearly all of the enclave’s population, Gaza officials say.

Published in Dawn, December 2nd, 2024