The way forward: New 72-hour Gaza truce agreed in Cairo

Hamas official says Palestinian factions had accepted Egypt’s call and that the Cairo talks would continue

GAZA/CAIRO: Israel and the Palestinians agreed on Sunday to an Egyptian proposal for a new 72-hour ceasefire in Gaza starting at 2100 GMT, officials from the warring sides said. “Israel has accepted Egypt’s proposal,” a senior Israeli government official said, adding Israeli negotiators would return to Cairo on Monday (today) to resume indirect talks with the Palestinians if the truce held. The Israeli team had flown home on Friday before a previous three-day truce expired and hostilities in the month-old conflict broke out again. A Hamas official said Palestinian factions had accepted Egypt’s call and that the Cairo talks would continue. In a statement, Egypt’s foreign ministry urged both sides to exploit this truce to resume indirect negotiations immediately and work towards a comprehensive and lasting ceasefire agreement.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 11^th,2014.