UPDATE 3 - Egypt says working with Qatar, US to revive 60-day ceasefire in Gaza

ADDS HAMAS STATEMENT​​​​​​​

By Tarek Chouiref and Rania Abu Shamala

ISTANBUL (AA) - Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said Tuesday that Cairo is working with Qatar and the US to revive a 60-day ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.

“We are currently making great efforts in full cooperation with Qatar and US,” Abdelatty told a news conference in Cairo.

“The main goal is to return to the original proposal, a 60-day cease-fire, along with the release of some captives and some Palestinian prisoners, and the entry of humanitarian and medical aid into Gaza without obstacles or conditions,” he added.

Egyptian media earlier reported that a Hamas delegation arrived in Cairo for talks on the proposal, which comes as Israel pushes ahead with a phased reoccupation strategy approved by its Security Cabinet last week.

Under the Israeli plan, the first stage would force around 1 million residents out of Gaza City to the south, encircle the city, and launch incursions into residential areas. A second stage would involve seizing central refugee camps, many of which have already suffered widespread destruction during the war.

“There are intensive Egyptian efforts and contacts with all parties to overcome differences in order to reach a temporary truce in Gaza,” said state-affiliated Al-Qahera News channel, citing Egyptian sources.

“The talks aim to once again push towards resuming the negotiations and making progress towards reaching a cease-fire agreement,” it added.

Sources said the new ceasefire push comes in parallel with Egyptian efforts to bring humanitarian aid into the besieged enclave.

Early Tuesday, Israel’s public broadcaster KAN said Israeli negotiators are divided on the possibility of making progress in talks to reach a prisoner swap and cease-fire agreement in Gaza.

KAN reported that the Hamas delegation in Cairo is discussing “a new initiative that includes a comprehensive deal to release 50 Israelis (both captives and bodies) in exchange for the disarmament of the movement.”

Hamas announced late Tuesday that a delegation headed by Khalil al-Hayya had arrived in Cairo at Egypt’s invitation and began preliminary talks ahead of scheduled meetings on Wednesday to discuss ways to end the war, allow aid in and end the suffering of Palestinians in the enclave.

“At the kind invitation of Egypt, a Hamas leadership delegation headed by Dr. Khalil al-Hayya has arrived in Cairo to hold talks with Egyptian officials on the latest developments related to the genocide in Gaza and the overall situation in the West Bank, Jerusalem, and Al-Aqsa Mosque,” Hamas official Taher al-Nunu said in a statement.

Al-Nunu noted that the delegation started preparatory discussions for meetings set to begin Wednesday that will focus on ways to stop the war, facilitate the entry of aid, end the suffering of Palestinians in the enclave, address internal Palestinian relations to reach a national consensus on political issues and discuss bilateral relations with Egypt and ways to develop them.

He praised “the efforts Egypt is making on all these issues under the leadership of President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi,” stressing that “relations with Egypt are strong and stable, and joint work has never stopped on various issues.”

On Monday, Abdelatty said that Cairo, working in coordination with Qatar and the US, is seeking a “comprehensive agreement” that would halt the Israeli war and secure a full deal between Israel and the Palestinian resistance group.

“There is still a chance to reach a complete agreement if goodwill and political will exist,” Abdelatty told a press conference in Cairo, accusing Israel of committing genocide in Gaza and severely restricting humanitarian aid, pushing the enclave into famine.

Israel is facing mounting condemnation for its genocidal war on Gaza, where it has killed nearly 61,600 victims since October 2023.

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.