Watan-A well-informed source within Hamas said on Saturday that a delegation composed of senior leaders from the Palestinian movement is expected to arrive in Cairo for talks with Egyptian officials regarding a ceasefire in Gaza. The source, speaking on condition of anonymity, stated:
“We hope this meeting will achieve real progress toward reaching an agreement to end the war, stop the aggression, and ensure the complete withdrawal of the occupation forces from the Gaza Strip.”
The source added that the delegation will be led by Khalil al-Hayya, head of the movement’s negotiating team. He clarified that Hamas “has not received any new proposals regarding a ceasefire or prisoner exchange,” noting that communications and negotiations mediated by third parties are still ongoing. He added:“The occupation continues its aggression and keeps obstructing the agreement while deceiving the families of its captives held by the resistance.”
Trump’s Envoy Signals Imminent Gaza Deal as Netanyahu Faces Mounting Pressure
Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump’s envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, recently informed the families of Israeli detainees in Gaza—whom he met with—that “a very serious deal is currently under discussion, and it’s a matter of just a few days.” According to the Hebrew website Ynet, which reported the story on Thursday evening, the prevailing understanding is that Trump has given Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu only a few more weeks to continue the fighting before he will demand a halt to the war and push for a comprehensive deal.
Channel 13 in Israel reported that just hours after Netanyahu’s brief visit to Washington, the Israeli Security Cabinet convened on Wednesday to discuss developments, without the presence of senior security officials. The discussion focused on the outcomes of the urgent U.S. visit. Netanyahu and Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer—who is handling the negotiations—told Cabinet members that “there have been changes and progress in Hamas’s position regarding a new deal.”
Netanyahu and Dermer noted that proposals are currently being formulated between the U.S. and Egypt, and are approaching a level that Israel might accept. These proposals relate to the number of living Israeli detainees to be released and the number of Palestinian prisoners to be freed from Israeli prisons as part of the agreement. A political source speaking to Channel 13, without being named, stated that the ongoing negotiations are moving toward a concrete proposal that “includes the release of more than five living detainees.”
Gaza Death Toll Rises as Ceasefire Talks Continue Behind the Scenes
Since the Israeli military resumed its war on Gaza on March 18, 1,542 Palestinians have been killed and 3,940 injured, according to the latest statistics released Friday by the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza.
Also on Friday, the Arab-Islamic Ministerial Committee responsible for following up on developments in Gaza held a meeting on the sidelines of the Antalya Diplomatic Forum in Turkey. The meeting was part of the follow-up to the outcomes of the recent Arab Summit held in Cairo on March 4, according to the official spokesperson for Egypt’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Tamam Khallaf.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdel Aaty called on Israel to return to its obligations under the Gaza ceasefire agreement, stating that “Egyptian and Qatari efforts continue daily to finalize a prisoner exchange deal in Gaza” between Hamas and Israel.
-
-
-
-
-
-
