The situation is getting worse by the hour, tons of aid are ready to go, hopes for a new round of negotiations are about to begin.

Egypt is expected to hold a new round of talks on March 10th regarding a ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip aimed at ending the five-month-long conflict between the Israeli army and the Hamas movement, amid a devastating humanitarian disaster in the Mediterranean region.

ICRC President Mirjana Spoljaric assessed that the conflict situation in the Gaza Strip is worsening by the hour. There is no safe place for anyone. (Source: AFP)

According to Egyptian media, with the participation of mediators from Egypt, Qatar, and the United States, as well as representatives of Hamas, the new round of talks held in Cairo will discuss and promote the results of the meeting in Paris (France) on reaching a ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip and the exchange of prisoners between Israel and Hamas before the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

The new round of negotiations also aims to end Israeli attacks on Gaza, ensure the return of displaced Palestinians to their homes, and increase humanitarian aid delivery to the strip.

The previous round of talks in Cairo ended on March 7 without any significant progress. The prospect of reaching a temporary six-week ceasefire before Ramadan, which begins on March 11, has become slim.

Negotiations over the past week have dragged on for five days as mediators' efforts stalled due to the Israeli delegation boycotting talks because Hamas refused to provide a list of surviving hostages.

Analysts hope that the efforts of mediators, as well as certain concessions from the opposing sides, could lead to a temporary ceasefire in Gaza on the eve of Ramadan, thereby laying the groundwork for a long-term ceasefire between Israel and the Hamas forces controlling the Gaza Strip.

* Earlier, on March 9, the President of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) called for an end to hostilities, the release of hostages, and access to detained Palestinians.

Following five months of conflict between Israel and the Hamas Islamic movement, ICRC President Mirjana Spoljaric stated: “The situation in the Gaza Strip is deteriorating by the hour. There is no safe place for anyone. The number of civilian deaths and the ongoing hostage-takings are shocking and unacceptable.”

In light of the current situation, the ICRC has issued three urgent appeals. The Geneva-based organization (Switzerland) calls for a “ceasefire” to facilitate humanitarian operations.

In addition, the ICRC reiterated its demand for permission to visit the hostages captured in the Hamas attack on Israel last October and for the "unconditional" release of the remaining hostages. Ms. Spoljaric called for respect for the dignity, safety, and medical needs of the hostages.

Finally, the ICRC President demanded that detained Palestinians be treated humanely and allowed to contact their families. The ICRC must be informed and allowed to visit Palestinians detained by Israel.

Meanwhile, the American charity World Central Kitchen said it was loading aid for the Gaza Strip onto a ship in Cyprus , preparing to deliver the first shipment of aid to the territory via a shipping corridor that the European Commission (EC) hopes to open later this week.

The Spanish-flagged ship Open Arms docked at Larnaca port in the Republic of Cyprus three weeks ago. Cyprus is the European Union country closest to Gaza.

According to an announcement on March 8th by World Central Kitchen, groups belonging to the organization in Cyprus are loading humanitarian aid packages onto ships for transport to northern Gaza. For weeks, World Central Kitchen, along with its NGO partner Open Arms, has been preparing to open a shipping corridor to enhance aid efforts in the region.

On the social media platform X , Open Arms also announced that efforts to establish a humanitarian corridor by sea to provide aid to Gaza are making progress and that the organization's tugboats are ready to depart immediately, carrying tons of food, water, and essential supplies for Palestinian civilians.

Earlier, EC President Ursula von der Leyen expressed hope that a sea transport corridor could open on March 10. She said a "pilot operation" was launched on March 8, with the support of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), to ensure "the first of many aid shipments reach the people of Gaza."

Currently, no ports in Gaza are operational, and officials have not indicated where the first shipment will arrive, whether it will be subject to Israeli inspection, or who will distribute the aid.

Also on March 8, the Pentagon said that the US plan to establish a "temporary offshore dock" in Gaza would take up to 60 days and could involve more than 1,000 US personnel.

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