Deal on Gaza violence soon: Egyptian Prime Minister

Egyptian Prime Minister Hisham Qandil says a truce deal will be reached soon to end the Israeli offensive against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

“Negotiations are going on as we speak and I hope we will reach something soon that will stop this violence …,” Qandil said on Monday.

“I think we are close, but the nature of this kind of negotiation, (means) it is very difficult to predict,” he added.

The remarks come after Qandil visited the Gaza Strip on Friday where he promised to intensify Egypt’s efforts to “stop this aggression and achieve a lasting truce.”

“What I saw today in Gaza, at the hospital, with the martyrs, cannot be met with silence. This tragedy should not be met with silence and the whole world should take responsibility to stop the aggression,” Qandil said on Friday.

Over 100 Palestinians, including women and children, have been killed and more than 700 others injured in the airstrikes on Gaza since November 14.

The Israeli military frequently carries out airstrikes and other attacks on the Gaza Strip, saying the actions are being conducted for defensive purposes. However, in violation of international law, disproportionate force is always used and civilians are often killed or injured.

Gaza has been blockaded by the Israeli regime since 2007, a situation that has caused a decline in the standard of living, unprecedented levels of unemployment, and unrelenting poverty.