Middle East Quartet Ready to Push Peace Talks Forward
Arab World
Tel Aviv - Nazir Magally
The Middle East Quartet has announced willingness to push the comprehensive Palestinian-Israeli peace process forward once the ceasefire and truce talks see progress. “The Envoys of the Middle East Quartet from the European Union, Russia, the United States and the United Nations met virtually to discuss the situation on the ground, including maintaining the cessation of hostilities,” UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Tor Wennesland tweeted Saturday. “They agreed to remain in close contact and discussed plans to convene in person in the near future,” he added. Meanwhile, Cairo is preparing to receive delegations from the Palestinian factions in the Gaza Strip, the Palestinian Authority in Ramallah and the Israeli government to hold talks on maintaining a lasting ceasefire and reaching an agreement on a long-term truce. Political sources in Tel Aviv said comprehensive peace negotiations between Israel and the PA will “take a long time.” They pointed to the Israeli government’s inability to take decisions, noting that it is necessary to reinforce the ceasefire to avoid any complications. Defense Minister Benny Gantz said the situation is “unstable” and the ceasefire is “fragile.” However, he affirmed that several Israeli parties are convinced that the war will achieve nothing if it does not end with political agreements. “Therefore, we have been working to ensure a permanent ceasefire so that we can advance in the major negotiations to achieve comprehensive peace.” Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi is expected to visit Cairo on Sunday to give an impetus to the Egyptian efforts to maintain the ceasefire and expand it to include other major issues, including prisoners exchange and rebuilding the enclave, according to political sources. Ashkenazi was invited by his Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shoukry to discuss ties between Egypt and Israel. It will mark the first official visit by an Israeli foreign minister to Cairo since 2008. He will hold talks on the latest regional developments and developments in Palestine in particular, Ashkenazi was quoted as saying. He further highlighted Cairo’s significant role in these negotiations, without which no progress is expected to be made. Head of Egypt’s General Intelligence Service (GIS) Abbas Kamel will also visit Tel Aviv on Sunday as part of Cairo’s ongoing efforts to maintain the Israel-Hamas ceasefire, an Israeli report read on Saturday. Kamel is expected to meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Chief of Staff for National Security Meir Ben Shabbat and other Israeli security officials.
from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/2999616/middle-east-quartet-ready-push-peace-talks-forward
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