Progress has been made in discussions in Cairo regarding a potential truce in the Gaza conflict, with agreement on fundamental points reached by all involved parties, as reported by Egypt’s Al-Qahera News state-affiliated TV channel early Monday, citing a senior Egyptian source.
Both Israel and Hamas sent delegations to Egypt on Sunday for renewed talks on a possible ceasefire in the six-month-long conflict. Hamas and Qatar’s delegations reportedly departed Cairo and are expected to return within two days to finalize the agreement’s terms, while the Israeli and US delegations are set to leave the Egyptian capital shortly. Consultations are said to continue over the next 48 hours.
Hamas reiterated its demands on Sunday, including a permanent ceasefire, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, the repatriation of displaced individuals, and an exchange of Palestinian prisoners for Israeli hostages held in Gaza.
The conflict began after Hamas militants breached the border and conducted attacks in southern Israel on October 7, resulting in casualties and abductions, according to Israeli reports. The health ministry in Gaza reported over 33,100 Palestinian deaths in the Israeli offensive. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office announced last week his approval of further negotiations. Israeli intelligence agencies may reportedly join the delegation if progress is achieved, according to Galatz.
Earlier this month, hopes for a temporary cease-fire and a hostage-release agreement ahead of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan waned as negotiations between the parties failed to yield an accord. Ramadan commenced in Gaza on March 11. The proposed arrangement included a six-week halt to hostilities and the liberation of women, children, the infirm, and the elderly held captive by Hamas, including several Israeli soldiers. Nonetheless, negotiations in Doha, Qatar persisted, grappling with divergent visions of the conflict’s resolution.
Israeli forces withdrew from Khan Younis in southern Gaza on Sunday following protracted clashes, marking a significant development six months into the war instigated by Hamas militants’ assault on Israel on October 7.
Defense Minister Yoav Gallant cited Hamas’s diminished military presence in Khan Younis, just north of Rafah, home to over 1.5 million Palestinians, as the rationale behind the withdrawal. He also emphasized preparations for forthcoming missions, including those in Rafah.
As Israel and Hamas dispatched delegations to Egypt for fresh discussions on a potential cessation of hostilities in the prolonged conflict, further withdrawals were made from southern Gaza, with only one brigade remaining. Meanwhile, displaced Palestinians from temporary shelters in Rafah sought to return to their homes in and around the largely devastated Khan Yunis following the troop withdrawal.
Khan Yunis holds significance as the hometown of Hamas’s Gaza leader, Yahya Sinwar, whom Israel accuses of orchestrating the October 7 attacks.
Despite these developments, Israel reiterated its commitment to maintaining a “significant force” elsewhere in Gaza, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asserting that the country was on the brink of victory.
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