Abbas to send delegation to Egypt to discuss peace with Israel

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said on Friday that he will send a comprehensive national delegation to Cairo to discuss the Israeli-Palestinian cease-fire issue, despite the collapse of a 72-hour UN-proposed humanitarian truce.

The delegation will include representatives from Abbas’ Fatah party, three left-wing factions, the Hamas movement and the Islamic jihad group.

Head of the left-wing People Party Bassam al-Salhi said the delegation was supposed to fly to Cairo earlier on Friday, but the visit was delayed due to the recent developments in Gaza.

The Palestinians are committed to what has been agreed upon under the UN-mediated cease-fire, he said, noting that the Palestinians also have the right to respond to any Israeli ” aggressions.”

The Israeli military said a U.S./UN backed 72-hour cease-fire in Gaza that went into effect earlier on Friday is over, as military operations continued on the ground.