Report: Egypt Working to Renew Mideast Peace Talks

Egypt is working to finalized plans for renewed Mideast peace talks in the near future, according to a report in the London-based Rai al-Youm online newspaper.

Although details are still scarce, the report said that Cairo is to host Israeli, Palestinian, American, European and Arab officials soon to discuss the proposal before an official announcement.

Citing “high-ranking” Arab sources, the paper said that Egypt’s intelligence service has been developing a peace initiative in cooperation with unspecified Arab and European elements.

The report comes just days after Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi hosted Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and Jordan’s King Abdullah II for talks.

Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett last week disavowed a diplomatic process with the PA after Defense Minister Benny Gantz met with Abbas in Ramallah. Agreements reached at the meeting were confined to measures aimed at helping the Palestinians through an ongoing economic crisis, but reportedly did not touch on the moribund peace process.

Meanwhile, on Friday it was reported by the Riyadh-based Al Arabiya news outlet that Cairo will soon facilitate resumption of Israel-Hamas ceasefire talks.