Cairo – Two days after the expiry of a previous ceasefire agreement, Egypt’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs urged both the Israeli side and Hamas to accept a new 72-hour truce.
Israeli officials said Israel accepted the new truce, reported Reuters. Israel will send representatives to resume negotiations in Cairo on Monday should the truce hold.
“The truce could be used to immediately and continuously resume indirect negotiations between both parties,” a statement by Egypt’s foreign ministry read. The ministry added that the truce could help reach a “comprehensive and permanent” ceasefire agreement.
State television reported that Palestinian factions in Cairo agreed to the 72-hour ceasefire.
The new truce, set to be enforced starting 2100 GMT on Sunday, would also allow the transfer of humanitarian aid necessary for rebuilding Gaza’s infrastructure, the foreign ministry added.
A three-day ceasefire agreement brokered by Egypt expired on Friday, triggering a return to the violence which has left over 1900 Palestinians and 67 Israelis killed.
A Palestinian delegation arrived in Cairo last week to attend the negotiations over the ceasefire agreement. The delegation is not expected to leave before Monday, when it is scheduled to attend an Arab League emergency meeting over the Gaza crisis, reported state-run news agency MENA.
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