Egypt has been involved in mediating negotiations between Israel and Hamas to end the ongoing Gaza war. An Egyptian intelligence official reportedly made unauthorized changes to a Gaza ceasefire agreement that had initially been accepted by Israel, causing outrage among Israeli officials and creating uncertainty in the negotiations. The altered agreement included a truce in Gaza and an exchange of hostages.
Hamas had initially accepted the ceasefire agreement after discussions with Egyptian and Qatari mediators in Cairo. However, Israel later revealed that significant changes had been made to the agreement without its approval. The changes were reportedly made by Egyptian intelligence without the knowledge of the United States and Qatar.
The CIA Director, Bill Burns, who was involved in the negotiations, was reportedly angered and embarrassed upon learning about the changes made by the Egyptian side. Some Israeli officials suspected Burns of being aware of the amendments but not disclosing them to Tel Aviv.
The Egyptian intelligence official responsible for the alterations was identified as Ahmed Abdel Khalek, a senior deputy to Egyptian intelligence chief Abbas Kamel. Abdel Khalek reportedly communicated different terms to Hamas and Israel, adding more demands from Hamas to secure their approval.
Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani informed Israeli intelligence agency Mossad that Egypt had acted independently in making changes to the agreement. Talks on the ceasefire and hostage release between Israel and Hamas were described as being close to a stalemate.
Following Egypt’s unilateral actions, Qatar is expected to play a larger role in future negotiations, given its close ties to Hamas and Washington. However, Egypt’s proximity to Hamas will continue to be important in the mediation efforts.
Egypt denied the reports of unauthorized changes to the ceasefire agreement, emphasizing its experience and ability to manage negotiations. The ongoing war in Gaza has resulted in a high death toll and a humanitarian crisis, with Hamas attributing its initial attack on Israel as a response to years of Israeli aggression and occupation.
The war in Gaza has caused significant devastation and casualties, raising concerns among world leaders, including Israel’s allies. Despite the challenges in negotiations, efforts to reach a ceasefire and resolve the conflict continue.
Article Source
https://www.newarab.com/news/egyptian-intel-official-changed-gaza-ceasefire-deal-cnn
