Gaza truce talks enter fourth day after US urges speedy deal

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International mediators are set for a fourth day of talks with Hamas in Cairo after US President Joe Biden called on the Palestinian group to agree a truce deal with Israel by the start of Ramazan, AFP reports.

As famine threatens the besieged Gaza Strip, US and Jordanian planes again airdropped food aid into the territory of 2.4 million people in a joint operation with Egypt and France on Tuesday.

Envoys from Hamas and the United States have been meeting Qatari and Egyptian mediators in Cairo to discuss a plan for a six-week truce, the exchange of dozens of remaining hostages for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, and a greater flow of aid to Gaza.

Egypt’s Al-Qahera News, which is close to the country’s intelligence services, said the talks would continue today.

 Palestinians react at al-Aqsa hospital in Deir el-Balah as they mourn over the bodies of loved ones killed during Israeli bombardment, in the central Gaza Strip, on March 6, 2024. — AFP
Palestinians react at al-Aqsa hospital in Deir el-Balah as they mourn over the bodies of loved ones killed during Israeli bombardment, in the central Gaza Strip, on March 6, 2024. — AFP

Israeli negotiators have so far stayed away from the Cairo talks, with Israeli media reporting that they boycotted them after Hamas failed to provide a list of living hostages.

Senior Hamas leader Bassem Naim said details on the captives had not been “mentioned in any documents or proposals circulated during the negotiation process”.

“The Hamas movement has shown the required flexibility with the aim of reaching an agreement requiring a comprehensive cessation of aggression against our people,” the group said in a statement.

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