NEW ADMINISTRATIVE CAPITAL, Egypt (AP) — Egypt’s chief diplomat on Thursday called on Israel and Hamas to implement a Gaza ceasefire plan “without any delay,” raising pressure on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to accept the deal.
Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty delivered the message at a sensitive time in efforts to end a devastating 15-month conflict. A day after President Joe Biden and other international mediators announced the ceasefire agreement, Netanyahu was still insisting there was no deal.
However, a pre-dawn statement on Friday appeared to have cleared the way for the deal to be voted on by Israel’s security cabinet. If approved Israel said the deal could go into effect on Sunday.
In an exclusive interview with The Associated Press, Abdelatty said a deal had been reached thanks to “deep involvement” by American, Qatari and Egyptian mediators, including officials from the incoming administration of President-elect Donald Trump.
“We have a deal. What’s very important is to start implementation,” Abdelatty said from the foreign ministry’s headquarters in The New Administrative Capital, a newly built sprawling city about 45 kilometers (28 miles) east of Cairo that houses government offices.
“What we are doing now is to push for final approval and implementation, without any delay.”
Egypt, which has a peace agreement with Israel and shares a border with Hamas-ruled Gaza, has been a key mediator between the enemies for years and a leading player in ongoing ceasefire negotiations.
Cairo is supposed to be the location for continued talks between the U.S., Qatar and Egypt on implementing the deal. Abdelatty said the talks were set to begin soon, and that the mediators would have an “operation room” overseeing the deal in the Egyptian capital.
“We are fully committed to fulfill our own commitments and we are expecting that others to fulfill their own commitments,” he said.
Egyptian and Israeli officials said an Israeli delegation from the military and its Shin Bet internal security agency were going to Cairo Friday to discuss the reopening of the Rafah crossing. Both officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the negotiations.
Hamas has suffered heavy losses during the war, but the group appears to remain intact. Its fighters have continued to stage deadly attacks against Israeli troops and its government continues to provide some…