Hamas, Egyptian officials discuss Gaza cease-fire in Cairo

By Ibrahim Khazen

CAIRO (AA) - A Hamas delegation met senior Egyptian security officials Thursday in Cairo to discuss overcoming obstacles to achieving a cease-fire in Gaza and negotiating a prisoner-hostages exchange with Israel, Al Qahera News reported.

The meeting was part of Egypt's efforts to revive negotiations to end the conflict that began last October.

No further details were immediately available, but Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office welcomed Egypt's "readiness to advance a deal" in Gaza.

In a statement on X, it said pursuant to the meetings in Cairo, the premier directed the Mossad chief to leave for Doha and "advance a series of initiatives that are on the agenda, with the backing of the members of the Security Cabinet."

Tel Aviv will send its negotiating team, led by Mossad chief David Barnea, to Qatar on Sunday to discuss the resumption of talks with Hamas.

Earlier, Qatar’s Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani announced during a joint press conference with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken that his country will host a new round of talks.

Mediation efforts led by the US, Egypt, and Qatar have so far failed to yield a cease-fire, but Washington maintains that Israel’s killing of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar last week may lead to a breakthrough in talks.

Hamas, however, insists only a complete Israeli withdrawal and a total cessation of hostilities will end the conflict in Gaza, where Israel has killed more than 42,800 people since last October.

Israeli military presence along the Philadelphi Corridor, a demilitarized area along Egypt’s border with Gaza, is also a sticking point in the negotiations.