As of late on Monday, around 1.5 million pilgrims arrived in Saudi Arabia from abroad, most of them by air: The official Saudi Press Agency
Egypt remains committed to helping negotiate a ceasefire and hostage release deal in Gaza despite doubts about its mediation role, and it is in touch with Israel about setting dates for new talks, two Egyptian security sources said on Thursday.
Egypt, Qatar and the United States have been attempting over months of stop-start talks to strike a phased agreement between Israel and Hamas that would lead to truce in Gaza and the gradual release of Israeli hostages held in the territory.
On Wednesday, Egypt indicated it might withdraw from its role as a mediator amid tensions related to the stalling of previous talks and Israel's military advance in the southern Gaza city of Rafah.
Stay up to date with the latest news. Follow KT on WhatsApp Channels.
Egyptian mediators received calls from Israeli security officials on Wednesday and Thursday in which the Israelis thanked Egypt for its role, the Egyptian sources said.
During the calls, the Egyptians stated their desire to conclude the Gaza negotiations and agreed to set a date for talks.
After a late-night war cabinet meeting on Wednesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said in a statement: "The war cabinet has instructed the negotiation team to continue negotiations to return the hostages."
Israel's offensive in Rafah and its decision to take operational control of the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt's Sinai Peninsula have angered Egypt, which is nervous about any mass displacement of Palestinians due to the war.
The US has called on Egypt to facilitate a resumption of aid deliveries through the Rafah crossing but Egypt says it wants the Gaza side of the crossing to be restored to Palestinian control for aid flows to restart.
ALSO READ:
As of late on Monday, around 1.5 million pilgrims arrived in Saudi Arabia from abroad, most of them by air: The official Saudi Press Agency
It was originally copied by a monk in what is now Egypt around the fourth century AD, making it at least 1,600 years old
Disasters lead to class disruptions and learning loss; authorities use tech to try to build resilience
As the temperature crossed 40°C between May 18 and 25, women in the states of Rajasthan, Gujarat and Maharashtra received a flat $5 payment
Egypt and Qatar said they had received Hamas' response but did not disclose the contents
A jury in Wilmington, Delaware, federal court issued the verdict, making him the first child of a sitting US president to be convicted of a crime
Setting off in August 2022, he has travelled 650,000km equivalent of going around the Earth over 15 times, while sitting on trains for more than 6,700 hours
The Conservative Party leader has set out policies to shore up his core vote, from pledges on more police officers to lower taxes and support for pensioners