Abbas, international leaders to hold Gaza talks in Riyadh this week

[April 27, 2024]   RIYADH (Reuters) - Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and several international officials will be in Riyadh this week for talks aimed at pushing for a peace agreement in Gaza to be held on the sidelines of a World Economic Forum meeting, the WEF's president said on Saturday. 

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas gestures, as he attends a swearing-in ceremony for the newly formed cabinet, in Ramallah, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, March 31, 2024. REUTERS/Mohammed Torokman/File Photo

"We do have the key players now in Riyadh and hopefully the discussions can lead into a process towards reconciliation and peace," Børge Brende said at a news conference in Riyadh, adding that Gaza's humanitarian crisis would be on the agenda.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will attend the meetings alongside regional leaders including Qatar's prime minister, Saudi Arabia's foreign minister, Oman's crown prince and Bahraini officials, Brende said.

Egypt's foreign minister, Brende said, would be there to update officials on a round of talks Egyptian negotiators held in Israel on Friday in an effort to restart stalled efforts to end the war in Gaza and return the remaining Israeli hostages.

"There is now a bit of momentum for negotiations on the hostages and also a possible ceasefire," Brende said.

(Reporting by Pesha Magid in Riyadh; Writing by Andrew Mills; Editing by Hugh Lawson)

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