Gaza: Israeli-Palestinian indirect talks begin in 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.US Secretary of State John Kerry has urged both sides to use the ceasefire to move towards broader negotiations.Mr Kerry told the BBC that the situation could "concentrate people's minds" on the need to negotiate a two-state solution.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.At the scene: Jon Donnison, GazaHundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians in Gaza have been returning to their homes. Many have found nothing left.We met the Za'Noun family in Beit Hanoun, one of the worst affected areas right on the border with Israel. Their family home has been destroyed for the third time.The Za'Nouns will rebuild again. "Where else can we go?" Khalil Za'Noun, 80, asked me.One of his 34 grandchildren, Mohammed, has already lived through four wars in his short life. He's just 14.But this will not be the last war in Gaza. This truce is only a short-term fix. None of the big issues between Israelis and Palestinians has been fixed.The Palestinian delegation at the Cairo talks includes negotiators from Hamas, the militant 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".But senior Hamas official Izzat Rishq told AP: "We'd take the life of anyone who tries to take the weapons of resistance."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.Palestinian children take advantage of the truce, 5 AugBigger, broader approach'John Kerry told the BBC that the US fully supported Israel's right to defend itself against militant rocket attacks."No country can live with that condition, and the United States stands squarely behind Israel's right to defend itself in those circumstances. Period."(BBC)Bakudaily.Az