Weekend Truce Talks Fail; Lower-Level Teams Stay in Cairo

High-level talks held in Cairo, aimed at establishing a cease-fire and securing a hostage deal to temporarily halt the 10-month conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, concluded on Sunday without reaching a final agreement, according to a U.S. official. However, discussions will continue at lower levels in the coming days to address remaining issues.

The official, who spoke anonymously due to the sensitive nature of the talks, mentioned that “working teams” will stay in Cairo to engage with mediators from the United States, Qatar, and Egypt, hoping to resolve the outstanding disagreements. The recent discussions, which started on Thursday in Cairo and lasted through Sunday, were described as “constructive,” with all parties striving to “finalize and implement an agreement.”

The talks involved key figures such as CIA Director William Burns and David Barnea, the head of Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency. A Hamas delegation was briefed by Egyptian and Qatari mediators but did not directly participate in the negotiations.

This development occurred after a significant exchange of fire between Israel and Hezbollah early Sunday, which both sides later de-escalated to avoid a full-scale war. This exchange, the most intense in months, appears to have ended without further escalation.

Hezbollah claimed to have targeted an Israeli military intelligence site near Tel Aviv with a barrage of rockets and drones, while Israel asserted that its numerous strikes were preemptive measures to prevent a larger attack. Neither side provided evidence for their claims.

Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah stated that their attack, which was in retaliation for Israel’s assassination of a top militant commander in Beirut last month, was delayed to allow the Gaza cease-fire talks to progress and to consult with other Iran-backed groups on whether to launch a coordinated attack on Israel. The timing was also influenced by Israeli and U.S. military deployments.

Nasrallah added, “We reserve the right to respond later if today’s actions are deemed insufficient,” noting that allied Houthi rebels in Yemen and Iran had not yet responded. However, he reassured the Lebanese people, saying, “At this stage, the country can breathe and relax.”

Both Israel and Hezbollah claimed their targets were purely military. Israel reported that no military targets were struck by Hezbollah, but one of its navy soldiers was killed, and two others were injured, either by an interceptor for incoming fire or by shrapnel. Hezbollah reported that two of its fighters and a militant from an allied group were killed.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that the military had destroyed thousands of rockets aimed at northern Israel and intercepted drones headed for central Israel. He emphasized, “This is not the end of the story.”