News desk :
Indirect talks between Israeli and Palestinian representatives are taking place in the Egyptian capital Cairo.
They come after a four-week conflict in Gaza that has claimed more than 1,900 lives.
Egyptian mediators are shuttling between the two delegations, relaying each side’s demands.
A 72-hour truce is now in its second day in Gaza, the longest lull in fighting since the conflict began on 8 July.
Meanwhile, hundreds of thousands of displaced Gazans have been returning to their homes.
The BBC’s Jon Donnison, in Gaza City, says many people have found nothing left.
The Palestinian delegation at the Cairo talks includes negotiators from Hamas, the group that controls Gaza, as well as members of Islamic Jihad and the Palestinian Authority. The names of those representing Israel have not been given. The main Palestinian demands include the end of Israel’s blockade of the territory and the opening of border crossings. They will also want internationally funded reconstruction.
Israeli government spokesman Mark Regev said Israel’s main focus for a longer-term deal would be on demilitarising Gaza to achieve a “sustained period of quiet”.
Meanwhile Middle East peace envoy Tony Blair and UN special co-ordinator for the Middle East peace process Robert Serry are due to hold talks with Egyptian officials later on Wednesday.
Hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians in Gaza have been returning to their homes. Many have found nothing left.
Besides the loss of life, the war has cost both sides economically. Gaza faces a massive $6-billion price tag to rebuild devastated infrastructure. Israel has lost hundreds of millions of dollars in tourism and other sectors and fears cuts in overall economic growth this year as well.
Palestinian officials said a donor conference to raise funds for Gaza’s reconstruction would be held in Oslo next month.
The United Nations estimates that more than 10,000 homes have been destroyed or severely damaged in Gaza, an already crowded and impoverished territory.
Nearly 1,900 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza during the conflict, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry. It’s unclear how many were militants. The United Nations has estimated that at least 70% of the dead were civilians.
For many Palestinians, rebuilding their shattered lives is still a distant goal. Their immediate challenge is to secure basic necessities, like water, food and shelter.
Running water is scarce and there are only about two-to-four hours of electricity a day, the UN says.
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) has been sheltering around 270,000 people in its school buildings in Gaza.
“We will be very closely following not only the needs of people who stay at our schools, but also those who are returning to their home and may find themselves in very difficult situations in the days and weeks to come,” Pierre Krahenbuhl, UNRWA’s commissioner-general said.
Lasting peace tops Cairo talks agenda
