Egypt, which brokered the latest truce between Israel and Hamas, has reportedly expressed interest in hosting a summit seeking to strike a long-term ceasefire between the Jewish state and the terrorist group that controls the Gaza Strip.
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According to Kan 11 News, Cairo has invited delegates from Israel, Hamas, and the Palestinian Authority to attend the summit.
The forum will attempt to hammer out an agreement on the rehabilitation of Gaza following the recent conflict, as well as a ceasefire deal that would see Hamas return two Israeli civilians held captive and the remains of two IDF soldiers held by Gaza's rulers since the 2014 war.
Kan reported that an unnamed Egyptian military official traveled to Israel last week to present the summit initiative, for which no date has been set.
According to the Times of Israel, the officials with whom the Egyptian official met have reportedly set two conditions for Israel to attempt the summit: that negotiations with Hamas and the Palestinian Authority be held separately, and that each step in the reconstruction of the coastal enclave be directly linked to steps advancing the Israeli captives' return.
International mediators from the US, EU, Egypt and Qatar are working to solidify the fragile truce that brought Operation Guardian of the Walls to its end after 11 days.
Cairo officials have been dispatched to Israel and Gaza both to ensure the ceasefire's implementation, and have also been coordinating international relief for the enclave.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited Israel, Egypt, and Jordan this week – his first Middle East tour – seeking to shore up the ceasefire.
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