Egypt's Intelligence chief meets Palestinian delegation on Gaza negotiations

For the second time in one week, Egypt's intelligence chief Mohamed Farid El-Tohamy met Wednesday with the Palestinian delegation in Cairo as part of the continued effort to push for a lasting ceasefire in Gaza Strip. Tohamy spoke with Azzam Al-Ahmed, a leading figure of Fatah and head of the delegation, about the endeavors of Cairo to achieve the Palestinian demands, Egypt's state-owned news agency MENA reported. On Monday, the Palestinian delegation officially presented its demands for a permanent ceasefire including an immediate Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, halting airstrikes, lifting the Israeli blockade on the coastal strip and releasing Palestinian prisoners. Members of the Palestinian delegation currently in Cairo are Azzam Al-Ahmed of the Palestine Liberation Organisation, Ezzat Al-Rashq, Mohamed Nasr and Mousa Abou Marzouk of Hamas, Ziyad Nakhala of Islamic Jihad, Quis Abdel-Kareem of the Democratic Front, Maher Al-Taher of the Popular Front and Bassam Al-Salehi of the People's Party and Maged Farag, head of Palestinian intelligence. Palestinian sources told MENA that leading Islamic Jihad member Khaled Al-Batash and members of Hamas' political wing Khalil Al-Haya and Emad Al-Alami were now also in attendance in Cairo. Al-Batash, Al-Haya and Al-Alami could not leave Gaza earlier to join the talks that started on Saturday due to Israeli shelling – but were now able to travel as the shelling stopped early Tuesday as part of a 72-hour ceasefire. An informed source told Ahram Online late on Tuesday that Israel's delegation has arrived in Cairo for indirect negotiations with Palestinian factions under Egypt's sponsorship. The delegation is comprised of three negotiators: Isaac Molha, adviser to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Yoram Cohen, chief of Shin Bet security agency and Amos Gilad, head of the political bureau at the defence ministry. Egypt mediated a 72-hour truce on Tuesday between Israel and Hamas-led Palestinian factions that officials hope will lead to further talks and a more lasting end to the Gaza war. Israeli ground forces withdrew from the Gaza Strip ahead of the truce, with a military spokesperson saying the main goal of destroying cross-border infiltration tunnels has been achieved, Reuters reported. The Israeli war on Gaza has led to the death of 1,875 Palestinians since it began on 8 July. On the Israeli side 64 soldiers and three civilians have been killed in clashes and shelling in and around the enclave.