Gaza ceasefire talks fail to reach agreement, US fears escalation of conflict

Tel Aviv [Israel], August 26: Negotiations in Cairo on August 25 failed to reach any agreement on a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, as Hamas and Israel both disagreed with some terms proposed by mediators.
US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said on August 25 that the US is still working in Cairo (Egypt) towards a ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip, and is concerned that the conflict in the Middle East escalates into a wider war.
At a press conference in Halifax (Canada), he also said that President Joe Biden's administration is in regular contact with Israel about the current situation with Hezbollah, according to Reuters.
Egyptian security sources said that negotiations in Cairo on August 25 failed to reach any agreement on a ceasefire in Gaza, as Hamas and Israel both disagreed with some terms proposed by intermediaries.
One of the sticking points of the talks brokered by the United States, Egypt and Qatar is the presence of Israeli forces in the Philadelphia corridor, a narrow 14.5-kilometer strip of land along Gaza's southern border with Egypt.
Mediators offered several alternatives to the Israeli presence in the Philadelphia corridor and the Netzarim corridor that cuts across the Gaza Strip, but none were accepted by the parties, according to sources.
Israel has also expressed concerns about some Palestinian prisoners sought by Hamas, who have demanded they leave Gaza if released.
Meanwhile, Hamas said Israel had backed away from its commitment to withdraw from the Philadelphia corridor and also imposed other new conditions, including screening displaced Palestinians as they return to northern Gaza when the ceasefire takes effect.
"We will not accept discussions about withdrawing what we agreed on July 2 or new conditions," Hamas official Osama Hamdan told Al-Aqsa TV on August 25.
A Hamas delegation left Cairo on August 25 after talks with mediators, senior Hamas official Izzat El-Reshiq said, adding that the group had reiterated its demand that any deal must include a permanent ceasefire and a complete Israeli withdrawal from Gaza .
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper