2024-05-03 21:51:51
The Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) announced on Friday that it would send a delegation to Cairo to discuss the proposed truce agreement and the release of hostages held in Gaza, hours following the director’s arrival of the CIA, William Burns, in the Egyptian capital. according to Egyptian sources.
Egypt, alongside Qatar and the United States, is leading mediation efforts between Israel and Hamas to reach a ceasefire agreement in the conflict which began on October 7.
An Egyptian security source said Egyptian mediators will meet with the Hamas delegation and CIA officials tomorrow, Saturday, but it is unclear whether the meetings will take place with each side separately or with both sides together.
Hamas said its delegation was heading to Cairo “in a positive spirit” following studying the latest proposal to achieve a ceasefire.
Hamas added: “We are determined to mature the agreement, so as to respond to the demands of our people to completely end the aggression, withdraw the occupying forces, repatriate the displaced people, provide relief to our people, to begin reconstruction and to carry out a serious project. exchange agreement.”
A U.S. official said the United States believed some progress had been made in the negotiations but was still waiting to hear more.
The US Central Intelligence Agency declined to comment, reflecting its policy of non-disclosure of Burns’ visit.
Talks aimed at a ceasefire have continued for months without leading to a major breakthrough. Israel says it is determined to eliminate the Hamas movement, while Hamas says it wants a permanent ceasefire and a complete Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.
Egypt renewed its efforts to restart negotiations late last month. Cairo is concerned regarding the possibility that Israel might carry out a ground operation once morest Hamas in Rafah, in the south of the Gaza Strip, where more than a million people are taking refuge near the border with Egypt.
Egyptian sources say both sides have recently made some concessions, leading to progress in negotiations, but Israel still says the planned operation in Rafah is imminent.
The war began following Hamas launched an attack on southern Israel on October 7, killing 1,200 people and taking 253 hostages, according to Israeli statistics.
The Gaza Health Ministry says at least 34,000 Palestinians have been killed and more than 77,000 injured in the Israeli attack on the Gaza Strip since October 7.
A major Israeli military operation in Rafah might deal a major blow to humanitarian operations, which face numerous obstacles, in addition to endangering the lives of many people, according to United Nations officials.
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