File photo of Egyptian and Qatari flags
In a statement on Sunday evening, the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed its hopes for restoring the ceasefire in Gaza, securing an exchange of captives and detainees, and ensuring a safe and unimpeded humanitarian aid flow to address the tragic conditions in Gaza.
Egypt and Qatar also stressed the urgency of ending the war in Gaza to avoid further humanitarian catastrophes and move with genuine will toward achieving comprehensive and sustainable peace in the region, the statement added.
Moreover, they reaffirmed that Cairo and Doha, in coordination with the US, would continue their unified mediation efforts to reach a ceasefire in the Gaza war.
"These efforts aim to alleviate the suffering of Palestinian civilians, create the appropriate conditions for a comprehensive calm, and ultimately end this war and the humanitarian catastrophe it has caused," the statement read.
On Wednesday, in a joint statement, Egypt and Qatar affirmed that their consistent unified efforts to mediate an end to the unprecedented humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip will continue.
Israeli-American soldier Alexander, 21, who grew up in the United States, was captured by the Palestinian resistance from his base on 7 October 2023.
Over the weekend, Hamas held direct talks with US Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff in Doha.
The talks, facilitated by Egypt and Qatar, aimed to secure the release of captives held in Gaza and achieve a broader ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel.
During the talks, Witkoff had presented Hamas with a proposal for a partial truce with Israel, according to reports.
In a statement on Sunday, Hamas Political Bureau member Khalil al-Hayyah confirmed that the group has been in contact with the US administration over the past few days.
al-Hayyah also reaffirmed the group's readiness to “immediately start intensive negotiations” to reach a final long-term truce deal, which includes an end to the war, a prisoner-captive swap, and the handing over power in Gaza to an independent body of technocrats.
On 18 March, Israel resumed its genocidal war on Gaza after unilaterally ending the ceasefire agreement with Hamas, which Egypt, Qatar, and the US mediated.
Since 2 March, Israel has blocked the entry of all humanitarian aid to Gaza, putting more than two million Palestinians on the brink of famine.
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