GAZA CITY: Negotiations aimed at halting the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian resistance group Hamas entered their second day in Cairo on Wednesday, as Israel launched a series of deadly air strikes on Lebanon, sparking fears of an escalating conflict in the region.
As mediators in Egypt work passionately to broker a ceasefire and secure the release of remaining hostages, concerns mount over the possibility of Israel launching a full-scale ground incursion into Gaza’s densely populated city of Rafah.
A source within the Palestinian resistance group Hamas confirmed to AFP that a delegation was en route to Cairo to hold talks with Egyptian and Qatari mediators. This comes after Israeli negotiators held talks with mediators on Tuesday, with CIA Director William Burns reportedly joining the discussions alongside David Barnea, head of Israel’s Mossad intelligence service.
US National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby described the negotiations as “constructive and moving in the right direction,” while Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas urged the Palestinian resistance group to quickly finalize a prisoner deal to avert further calamity.
Meanwhile, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan arrived in Cairo on Wednesday for talks with President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, underscoring the regional significance of the conflict.
Israel Launches Strikes on Lebanon
However, tensions escalated further as Israel launched strikes on Lebanon, hours after fire from Lebanese territories wounded some people in northern Israel.
Since the outbreak of the Hamas-Israel war on October 7, over 240 persons have been killed in Israeli strikes in Lebanon, including Hezbollah fighters and civilians.
As the situation remains precarious, appeals for the protection of Palestinian civilians in Rafah have grown louder, with calls for Israel to refrain from launching a ground operation without a credible plan to safeguard civilian lives.
As Hamas continued to engage in talks, the Israeli military continued its bombardment of Gaza, further exacerbating the humanitarian crisis in the besieged territory.
The potential for mass civilian casualties in Rafah has triggered urgent appeals, even from close allies, for Israel to hold off sending troops into the last major population centre they have yet to enter in the more than four-month-old war.
Key ally, the United States, has said it will not back any ground operation in Rafah without a “credible plan” for protecting civilians.
Rafah — where more than 1.4 million Palestinians are trapped — is the main entry point for desperately needed relief supplies, and UN agencies have warned of a humanitarian disaster if an assault goes ahead.
