PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES: A senior Hamas official told AFP on Thursday that the group had told Egyptian officials it was ready to stop fighting in Gaza if Israel committed to a ceasefire deal.
The official said a Hamas delegation discussed “ideas and proposals” related to a Gaza truce with Egyptian officials in Cairo on Thursday.
“Hamas has expressed readiness to stop the fighting, but Israel must commit to a ceasefire, withdraw from the Gaza Strip, allow the return of displaced people, agree to a serious prisoner exchange deal and allow the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza,“ the official said.
The talks in Cairo were part of Egypt’s ongoing efforts to resume ceasefire negotiations, he added.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he welcomed Egypt’s readiness to reach a deal in Gaza “for the release of the hostages”.
“Pursuant to the meetings that were held in Cairo, the prime minister has directed the director of the Mossad 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,“ said a statement from Netanyahu’s office.
Mossad chief David Barnea was due in Qatar on Sunday for meetings to restart the negotiations towards a Gaza hostage release deal, Israel said.
Out of 251 hostages seized during Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack that triggered the war, 97 remain in Gaza including 34 the Israeli military says are dead.
