Egypt Daily News – Following the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hezbollah which entered into force at dawn, US President Joe Biden announced that Washington would make another effort with Turkey, Egypt, Qatar, Israel and others to reach a ceasefire in Gaza.
He wrote in a post on the “X” platform on Wednesday: “In the coming days, America will make another effort with Turkey, Egypt, Qatar, Israel and others to reach a ceasefire in Gaza, release the hostages, and end the war without Hamas in power,” according to Reuters.
In turn, White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said that the United States will begin its new effort to reach a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip today. He stated in an interview with MSNBC that Biden “intends to begin this work today through envoys communicating with Turkey, Qatar, Egypt, and other actors in the region.”
Hamas: We are ready for a serious agreement
This comes as Hamas confirmed earlier today that it is ready to conclude a serious agreement to stop the war in the Gaza Strip. A leadership source in Hamas stressed that the movement is “ready” to conclude an agreement with Israel regarding a truce in Gaza.
‘The mediators informed us’
He also added that Hamas informed “the mediators in Egypt, Qatar and Turkey that it is ready for a ceasefire agreement and a serious prisoner exchange deal if Israel complies,” according to Agence France-Presse.
But he pointed out that the Israeli side “is obstructing and evading reaching an agreement and continuing the war of extermination,” he said. Therefore, he considered the ceasefire in Lebanon “a victory and a great achievement for the resistance,” as he described it.
In turn, leader Sami Abu Zuhri confirmed to Reuters that the movement appreciates “Lebanon’s right to reach an agreement that protects its people,” expressing his hope to reach an agreement that ends the war in Gaza.
He also added, “Hamas showed flexibility in reaching a truce in Gaza, but the problem has always been the evasion of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.”
Qatar suspended its efforts
Qatar announced in early November that it had suspended its efforts to reach a ceasefire agreement in Gaza and the exchange of prisoners between Israel and Hamas, after months of faltering.
It is noteworthy that the United States, Egypt and Qatar mediated over months by sponsoring negotiations and rounds in order to reach a deal that would stop the war in the Palestinian Strip and lead to the release of Israeli prisoners, who have been still detained inside Gaza since October 7 of last year.
However, the talks did not lead to any results, especially since the Israeli side refused to withdraw military from the Gaza Strip, which obstructed reaching an agreement even after Hamas accepted a copy of a ceasefire proposal that was revealed by US President Joe Biden last May.
