Egypt has stepped up mediation efforts between Israel and Palestinians in an effort to tamp down violence in Jerusalem and Judea and Samaria and to prevent its spread to the Gaza Strip ahead of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, Reuters reported quoting officials.
Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram
Cairo hosted this week leaders of the Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorist organizations, the sources said, adding that talks with Israel were held earlier.
There has been widespread violence as the IDF continues Operation Breakwater, an anti-terrorism campaign launched in the summer of 2022 in response to deadly attacks perpetrated by Palestinians in Israel earlier in the year. Most recently, a Palestinian gunman opened fire outside a Jerusalem synagogue, killing seven worshippers and passersby, prompting the government and the military to further step up measures.
Two Egyptian officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Cairo believed the situation could escalate even further, given Palestinian sensitivities about Israeli control of access to Jerusalem during Ramadan, which begins in late March, as well as the new right-wing government taking power in Israel.
Officials said Egypt sought the United States to appeal to Israel to help constrain an escalation of violence, while Cairo, for its part, was appealing to the PIJ, which spurns direct contact with Israel.
"Egypt understands that if things blow up in the West Bank it will ignite an explosion in Gaza too," a Palestinian official said.
The latest conflict between Israel and the PIJ took place in August 2022 and lasted 36 hours. With Hamas, the latest conflict occurred in May 2021, known as Operation Guardian of the Walls.
Subscribe to Israel Hayom's daily newsletter and never miss our top stories!
