Israeli reservations are holding up a meeting of mediators in Cairo to discuss implementation of new understandings reached more than a week ago on the Gaza ceasefire agreement, a well-informed Palestinian source told Asharq Al-Awsat on Friday.
The Gaza ceasefire entered a new phase about a week ago after mediators — Egypt, Qatar and Türkiye — reached fresh understandings with Hamas and other Palestinian factions on arrangements to implement the second phase of the agreement struck last October. Implementation had stalled following the outbreak of the Iran war and Israeli violations.
In early August, Egypt’s Al Qahera News television channel cited sources as saying Cairo would soon host a meeting bringing together representatives of Egypt, the United States, Qatar and Türkiye to reaffirm all parties’ commitment to implementing the Gaza agreement.
The channel said Egypt was intensifying contacts with the parties concerned to push forward implementation, while Hamas and other Palestinian factions were responding positively to Egyptian and mediation efforts.
An informed Egyptian source later told Asharq Al-Awsat that preparations were under way for a four-way meeting between Egypt, Qatar, the United States and Türkiye to ensure the ceasefire understandings were carried out.
But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has yet to state a clear position on the understandings, which US President Donald Trump praised as “historic.”
No public position has emerged either following a visit to Israel last week by Nickolay Mladenov, the High Representative of the Board of Peace in Gaza.
The Palestinian source said on Friday that the four-way meeting had failed to take place as scheduled last week because Israel objected to the proposal on the table.
“As of this moment,” the source said around midday Friday, “no new date has been set for the meeting.”
A Hamas delegation remains in Egypt, the source said, but no new date has been agreed for meetings with the four-party committee.
Those meetings, linked to the Board of Peace and aimed at starting implementation of the agreed mechanisms, have also been held up by Israeli reservations.
The source said negotiations had slowed because of Israeli objections, particularly over withdrawal arrangements.
“Everyone is waiting for the American move and to see whether they have anything to offer in this regard, especially in terms of putting pressure on Israel,” the source said.
Asked whether a meeting could take place this week, the source said efforts were continuing to overcome obstacles posed by Netanyahu.
“Anything is possible, and it depends on Trump’s position and pressure from Washington,” the source added.
About a week ago, Hamas said it and other Palestinian factions had dealt “responsibly and positively” with the negotiating process and the mediators’ proposals to complete implementation of the second phase of the ceasefire agreement.
Hamas said Israel’s commitment to “stop the killing and end its attacks” was the essential prerequisite and first step toward moving ahead with implementation and setting a framework and timetable for what had been agreed.
It added that implementation of the second phase depended on Israel carrying out all provisions of the first phase.
In a video posted on Facebook on Wednesday, Netanyahu said Israel had not agreed to a plan to disarm Hamas in the Gaza Strip, despite the group having accepted it.
He said Israeli forces would not withdraw from their current positions in Gaza until Hamas had been fully disarmed.
