GazaHerald – A senior Hamas delegation has arrived in Cairo for talks aimed at securing a ceasefire in Gaza, even as Israel presses ahead with a military campaign to seize Gaza City and forcibly displace nearly one million Palestinians toward concentration zones further south.
The delegation, led by Dr. Khalil al-Hayya, will meet Egyptian officials to discuss the latest developments in Israel’s ongoing war in Gaza, as well as the situation in the West Bank, Jerusalem, and at Al-Aqsa Mosque. Hamas official Taher al-Nunu, who is in Cairo, said the group had begun preliminary discussions ahead of Wednesday’s formal meetings.
According to al-Nunu, the talks will focus on halting Israel’s assault, allowing humanitarian aid into Gaza, and alleviating the suffering of Palestinians. Internal Palestinian unity and political consensus, along with strengthening bilateral ties with Egypt, are also on the agenda.
He praised Cairo’s mediation efforts under President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, describing relations as “solid and strong” and stressing that cooperation between the two sides has never stopped.
The visit comes amid ongoing attempts by Egypt, Qatar, and the United States to mediate a truce. A Palestinian source told Agence France-Presse that Egyptian officials and other mediators are working on a new proposal that could include a 60-day truce, followed by negotiations for a long-term ceasefire, and an exchange of all Israeli captives, both living and deceased, in a single deal.
Another Palestinian source, however, warned that no real breakthrough appears imminent. “So far, it cannot be said that there is anything new that calls for optimism, especially since the occupation has consistently obstructed any agreement,” the source said.
Israeli manupulation
The last round of indirect talks between Hamas and Israel, held in Doha and brokered by the same mediators, ended on July 25 without results after weeks of negotiations. During those talks, Hamas demanded an Israeli withdrawal from positions inside Gaza, a reduction in the depth of military buffer zones, and an avoidance of densely populated areas to allow most displaced Palestinians to return home.
Israel rejected those demands, insisting on maintaining a military presence in parts of Gaza and expanding its control in some areas, including the Philadelphi Corridor along the Egypt-Gaza border, according to Israel’s Channel 12.
Since October 7, 2023, Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, backed by the United States, has killed 61,599 Palestinians and wounded 154,088 others, most of them women and children. More than 9,000 people remain missing, hundreds of thousands have been displaced, and 227 have died from famine, including 103 children.
