(MENAFN- Kuwait News Agency (KUNA)) Palestinian and Israeli delegations arrived here Sunday to begin a new round of negotiations to reach a deal for permanent ceasefire in Gaza Strip.
Palestinian delegations representing Fatah, headed by Azzam Al-Ahmad; Hamas, headed by Mousa Abu Marzook; and the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine, headed by Qais Abdulkarim Abu Layla, have arrived to participate in the talks, a security source at Cairo International Airport stated.
The source also noted that the participating Palestinian delegations came from Ramallah, Doha, and Damascus after consultations with the Palestinian leadership following the first round of talks last week, which was sponsored by Egypt.
The Israeli delegation has also arrived in Cairo to resume Egyptian-brokered talks with the Palestinian movements.
Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu threatened Hamas today of more "hard blows" as long as the quiet is not restored in the south region adjacent to the Gaza Strip.
Netanyahu also said, during his government's weekly meeting, that the Israeli delegation to the indirect talks in Cairo is working under "very clear directives" to stand firm on Israel's security demands, adding that "only if there will be a clear answer to our security needs will we agree to any understandings." In the same context, Israeli Minister of Communications Gilad Erdan stated to Israel Radio today that not having an agreement with Hamas regarding the conflict in the Gaza Strip would be better than an agreement that compromises Israeli security.
Erdan said that Israel has not yet reached a decision on an Egyptian proposal for long-term ceasefire, adding that "the initiative held several problematic clauses for the government in Jerusalem." He noted that "the Egyptian formula limits Israel from a security perspective," adding that it is better for Israel to reject the proposal and maintain military operations in Gaza as Hamas has demanded the opening of border crossings with Gaza as a truce condition.
Earlier, Israeli gunboats opened fire at fishermen off the coasts of Gaza in a breach of the five-day truce, which will end on late Monday, Palestinian security sources said.
The Israeli gunboats opened fire at the ships without previous warning, the sources added, noting at the same time that no damage or injuries were reported.
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.