CAIRO: Indirect negotiations for a ceasefire in Gaza are expected to continue in Cairo on Sunday, but Palestinians negotiators warned they will leave the Egyptian capital if the Israeli delegation failed to show up.
Palestinian officials said they had been notified that an Israeli delegation was scheduled to arrive in the Egyptian capital on Sunday.
"The delegation is expected on Sunday for the talks," said one Palestinian official.
Another member of the delegation, Hamas deputy chief Mussa Abu Marzuq, warned that next 24 hours will be crucial.
Israel "is stalling and the next 24 hours will decide the fate of the negotiations," he said.
Hamas, the militant group controlling Gaza, had refused to extend a 72-hour ceasefire on Friday, accusing Israel of stalling in the talks that the Palestinians say must lead to an end of Gaza's blockade.
An official in the delegation said that the team would leave Cairo "to consult with the Palestinian leaderships" if the Israelis did not show up on Sunday.
Israeli warplanes pummelled Gaza with 50 air strikes that killed at least eight Palestinians on Saturday while militants fired 23 rockets into Israel.
Egypt, which acts as a go between in the indirect negotiations between Palestinians and Israelis, has pressured both sides to end the fighting.
Comments
Comments are closed.