Hamas said in a statement that its delegation met with Egyptian Intelligence Director Abbas Kamel to discuss the current situation in the Gaza Strip.
According to a source close to the talks, Haniyeh’s visit comes as Qatar negotiates the release of hostages held by Hamas in exchange for a few days’ lull in fighting.
Israeli and US intelligence chiefs have arrived in Qatar for talks on a possible humanitarian pause in the Gaza war since October 7, an official briefed on the visit said on Thursday.
Egypt had already held talks with Qatar. They were followed in late October by the release of two women kidnapped by Hamas during the October 7 attack on Israeli territory.
Egypt, which has the only border crossing with the Gaza Strip not controlled by Israel (the Rafah crossing), has historically been the main mediator between Hamas and Israel.
The war, now in its second month, was triggered by an unprecedented attack by Hamas in southern Israel on October 7.
More than 10.8 thousand people died during the war. Palestinians, including more than 4.3 thousand children, the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry said.
More than 160 Palestinians have been killed in violence and Israeli raids in the occupied West Bank.
More than 1.4 thousand people died in Israel. people, most of them in the October 7 Hamas attack that started the fighting, and Hamas fighters took 239 hostages from Israel to the Gaza Strip.
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2024-09-25 19:00:10