Palestinian delegation leaves Cairo, says willing to return to negotiations

After the breaching of a 24-hour extension to a temporary cease-fire put a hold on the indirect negotiations in Cairo aiming to end the current violence in Gaza, the Palestinian delegation left Cairo early Wednesday morning.

Azzam al-Ahmed, the head of the delegation, said in a press conference held late Tuesday that the Palestinian delegation is not withdrawing from talks and is willing to return once informed by the Egyptian side that the atmosphere is set to resume negotiations, state-owned EgyNews reports.

Ahmed accused the Israeli side of intentionally disrupting the cease-fire talks, while Israeli officials said that Hamas is responsible for the renewal of violence by breaching the cease-fire.

Hours into a 24-hour extension to a five-day cease-fire that was reached on Tuesday morning in Cairo, the negotiations fell apart when air strikes resumed on Gaza. Israeli officials said that the air strikes were a response to six rockets fired from Gaza, which inflicted no casualties. No Palestinian factions claimed responsibility for the rockets.

Hamas leaders said that Israel targeted the house of the head of the movement’s armed faction, Mohamed Deif, during its strikes, which led to several civilian deaths, including Deif’s wife and daughter.

Ahmed said during the press conference that the Israelis had no intention of reaching a permanent cease-fire agreement.

He blames the collapse of the negotiations on the withdrawal of the Israeli delegation from the talks at 4 pm on Tuesday, before the temporary cease-fire was broken. Additionally, Ahmed said that the Israeli side announced the failure of the negotiations while the Palestinian delegation was still in talks in Cairo.

Ahmed also stated that the Palestinian delegation presented a proposal to the Israeli side on Tuesday and never received a response, accusing the Israeli side of not being serious about reaching a cease-fire and wanting to force all its demands.

Israeli government spokesperson Mark Regev said in statements to the media on Tuesday that the rocket attacks that came from Gaza on Tuesday are a direct violation of the cease-fire by Hamas, saying that this is the 11th cease fire that Hamas has rejected or violated.

The negotiations had started to flounder since their resumption on Sunday, with both sides issuing statements saying that reaching a permanent solution in unlikely. The Israelis are holding on to their main demand to disarm Hamas and other groups, a term which is rejected by the Palestinian delegation. The Israelis have also rejected the main Palestinian demand, which is the removal of the blockade on Gaza that has been enforced since Hamas was voted into power in 2006.

The Egyptian Foreign Affairs Ministry issued a statement on Wednesday morning expressing its "grave sorrow" for the abortion of the cease-fire and announcing that it remains in communication with both sides in an attempt to resume negotiations. The statement said that the negotiations would aim to reach a permanent cease-fire agreement that upholds the interests of the Palestinians, especially regarding the opening of crossings into Gaza and the rebuilding of the city.