News Digest

Egypt moots new truce talks as deadly Israeli airstrikes hit Gaza again

Israeli fire killed 10 Palestinians across Gaza on Monday, while Egypt proposed a new ceasefire that would open key crossings into the blockaded territory. Since an earlier truce collapsed on August 19, the death toll in Gaza has risen steadily with at least 113 Palestinians killed in more than 350 Israeli air strikes across the territory. Over the same period, more than 650 rockets have struck Israeli soil, one of which killed a four-year-old boy over the weekend, army figures show. Around 110 rockets were shot down.There has been increasing talk about a possible new ceasefire agreement, which would see delegations return to Cairo to resume discussions on an Egyptian proposal to broker a longer-term end to the violence.

There is an idea for a temporary ceasefire that opens the crossings, allows aid and reconstruction material, and the disputed points will be discussed in a month.

A senior Palestinian official, speaking to AFP

The Palestinian leadership would be willing to accept a temporary ceasefire, but say they are waiting for the Israeli response to the proposal. Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri said Egypt might invite Palestinian and Israeli negotiating teams to return to Cairo within 48 hours. There was no immediate comment from Israel, with Netanyahu’s spokesman Mark Regev saying Israel’s position of no negotiations under fire had “not changed”. The invitation to new truce talks came after Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi met Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas on Saturday. Egypt has repeatedly urged all parties to accept an open-ended truce and return to the negotiating table in Cairo.