Though indirect talks between Cairo delegation parties began anew, on Sunday, Israeli ministers are saying it’s quite possible that no deal will be reached.According to Ynet, a member of the Palestinian delegation told AP, Sunday, that the gaps between sides were still significant and that it was ‘far from certain whether a deal could be reached before the cease-fire expires’, contrary to earlier statements made by Deputy Secretary-General of the Palestinian faction of the Islamic Jihad, Ziad al-Nakhaala.
‘We are less optimistic than we were earlier,’ said the delegate, his comments coming just following a statement by Hamas’ political chief Khaled Mashal, on Saturday, asserting that his group would not back down from a single one of their demands.
A senior Israeli Cabinet minister told Ynet that ‘it is very possible that talks will end without an agreement, and it is possible that this is preferable in comparison to the other options currently on the table.’
Furthermore, Egyptian diplomats reportedly told Turkish news agency Anatolia that Egypt is pursuing efforts to convince opposing parties to continue with the ceasefire until a final agreement is reached, rather than simply extend it for another length of time.
According to Haaretz, senior Israeli officials have said that if Egyptian efforts to secure a long-term cease-fire should fail, Western powers are likely to push for a UN Security Council resolution which would call for an end to the fighting.
