CAIRO: CIA Director William Burns on Tuesday met with Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi in Cairo to discuss ongoing efforts towards achieving a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.
According to a statement from El-Sisi’s office, the meeting focused on “the latest developments in joint efforts to reach a truce and ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip.” The meeting comes as Israeli military operations have intensified in Gaza City, with troops backed by tanks and warplanes conducting operations.
Mediators from Egypt and Qatar have been engaged in extensive negotiations aimed at brokering a truce and securing the release of hostages in Gaza. Recent talks have gained momentum following indications from Hamas that it might be willing to adjust its stance on ceasefire conditions.
The conflict, which has endured since October 7 last year, has seen significant casualties on the Palestinian side, with at least 38,243 reported deaths, mostly women and children, according to Gaza’s health ministry.
Israeli forces have pushed deeper into Gaza City, prompting mass evacuations as thousands of Palestinians flee the affected areas. The ongoing raids and displacements have raised concerns about the potential collapse of negotiations for a ceasefire and the release of hostages, despite recent progress in narrowing the gaps between the two sides.
The humanitarian situation in Gaza has worsened dramatically, with most of the 2.3 million population displaced multiple times. Hundreds of thousands are now residing in overcrowded tent camps, enduring dire conditions exacerbated by the destruction of infrastructure during the conflict.
Israel issued evacuation orders for northern Gaza and has since restricted re-entry for displaced residents.
Israel issued additional evacuation orders for areas in other neighborhoods of central Gaza City. The military said it had intelligence showing that militants from Hamas and the smaller Islamic Jihad group were in the area, and called on residents to head south to the city of Deir Al-Balah.
Many Palestinians remain displaced, living in makeshift shelters or damaged homes amidst ongoing military operations.
“We fled amid heavy airstrikes,” said Sayeda Abdel-Baki, a mother of three who sought refuge in the Daraj neighborhood. “This is the fifth time we’ve been displaced.”
