The consolidation of the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza was, Sunday, May 30, at the center of diplomatic negotiations in Egypt with in particular the first visit of an Israeli diplomat in Cairo for 13 years.

At the same time, the head of Egyptian intelligence met in Jerusalem with the Israeli prime minister and with the Palestinian president in the West Bank. 

The head of Israeli diplomacy, Gabi Ashkenazi, who visited the Egyptian capital, discussed with his Egyptian counterpart Sameh Choukri ways to "rekindle the path of peace and strengthen the ceasefire in Gaza", according to a tweet from the Egyptian Foreign Ministry.

In a statement, Gabi Ashkenazi, said that Israel "will not allow (...) Hamas to rebuild its terrorist infrastructure", adding that "the question of the return of the bodies of soldiers and hostages", ( two Israeli civilians who entered the Palestinian enclave of their own accord and have since been detained) had to find a solution.

Meeting with Israeli and Palestinian leaders

Meanwhile, Egyptian Intelligence Chief Abbas Kamel held talks in Jerusalem with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and in Ramallah, in the occupied West Bank, with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.

With the Israeli Prime Minister, the discussions focused in particular on "the intensification of cooperation" between the two countries, according to a statement from the office of Benjamin Netanyahu.

The head of the Israeli government raised the question of the Israeli hostages held in Gaza, the main demand in any future negotiations with Hamas, as well as "the means to prevent" Hamas "from using the resources allocated to the future in the future. population "for the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip.

In Ramallah, Abbas Kamel discussed with Mahmoud Abbas the "global appeasement in Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza", the "reconstruction" of the border enclave of Egypt and the "Palestinian dialogue" between the movements Fatah and Hamas, according to the official Palestinian agency Wafa.

Photo provided by the Palestinian Authority (PPO) press office of President Mahmoud Abbas meeting with Egyptian intelligence chief Abbas Kamel in Ramallah, West Bank, May 30, 2021 © AFP PHOTO, HO / PPO

Egypt, eternal mediator

Since the ceasefire, Egypt has coordinated with the United States and other countries in the region to reach a lasting agreement.

Negotiated by Egypt, a country bound since 1979 by a Peace Treaty with Israel and a traditional mediator between Palestinians and Israelis, the truce was established on May 21 after another devastating war between Israel and Hamas.

From May 10 to 21, 254 Palestinians were killed by Israeli strikes in the Gaza Strip, including 66 children, according to local authorities.

In Israel, rocket fire from Gaza killed 12 people, including a child, a teenage girl and a soldier, according to Israeli police.

Hamas political bureau chief Ismail Haniyeh also visited Egypt during the day, according to an Egyptian security source.

Rebuild Gaza

The meeting focused on "reconstruction" in the Gaza Strip.

Sameh Choukri stressed the "need to take into account the special sensitivity (of) East Jerusalem, the Al-Aqsa mosque and all Muslim and Christian holy places," the Egyptian foreign ministry said in a statement. . 

The recent conflict has caused considerable damage in the Gaza Strip, where international aid has already started to flow. 

Egypt and Qatar have each pledged $ 500 million (around € 410 million) for the reconstruction of the densely populated enclave of two million people living under Israeli blockade for nearly 15 years.

The UN on Thursday appealed to raise $ 95 million in aid to Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank, after having already released $ 18 million during the conflict.

While touring the Middle East last week, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke of urgent $ 5.5 million in aid for Gaza, in addition to $ 75 million in economic development aid for Palestinians, specifying that this aid, which must be validated by Congress, must not go to Hamas.

With AFP

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