Cairo Meeting on Gaza: Regional Powers and Intelligence Chiefs Convene Amidst Escalating Tensions

Watan-Mohammed Nazal, a leader in the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas, commented on the Cairo meeting regarding Gaza, which was attended by the American CIA chief, the Qatari Prime Minister, and the Mossad director on Tuesday, February 13, 2024.

Nazal, in a recorded interview monitored by Watan, stated that the meeting resembles the Paris 1 meeting, thus it can be described as Paris 2, indicating an attempt to pressure the Palestinian resistance as part of the indirect negotiations with the mediators.

CIA Director William Burns, Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, and Mossad Director David Barnea meet with Egyptian officials to discuss mechanisms to stop the war on Gaza.

The Egyptian regime, according to its media, claims that this meeting is part of Egyptian efforts to stop the bloodshed in Gaza and work on political, humanitarian levels, and engage with all regional and international partners to achieve this.

Negotiations and proposals regarding prisoners and halting the war on Gaza have faced obstacles due to the occupation’s insistence on its conditions and its failure to implement any international decisions, as its forces continue to target civilians, resulting in the deaths of women and children in the besieged territory.

Regarding the meeting, Mohammed Nazal commented that the Cairo meeting will be attended by Egyptian and Qatari officials, the Mossad chief, and the CIA director in an attempt to pressure Hamas as part of the indirect negotiations, with pressure tactics including escalating airstrikes, violence, and threats of invading Rafah city.

However, the invasion of the Rafah crossing may not be conclusive, according to the expectations of the Palestinian leader, due to considerations he did not wish to delve into.

Nazal emphasized that the threat of a ground invasion through Rafah, via operations that resulted in the deaths and injuries of dozens, is part of the pressure tactics, in addition to the threat of relocating Palestinian refugees and contemplating deals far from the sacrifices of Palestinians over the past weeks.

Continuous attempts to subdue the resistance

All these threats are part of negotiations and pressures exerted on the resistance to make concessions and submit to the conditions set by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and those behind him, as Nazal confirmed.

The Palestinian leader in Hamas explained: “I see that we are facing two contexts, not just one. The first context is the context of tension and revenge through intensifying brutal bombing operations. As for the second context, it is the context of negotiation pressure until the occupation compensates for the resounding defeat it suffered on October 7th, and compensates for the defeat it has been facing for about two months since the start of ground invasions of the sector.”