In a press release, Hamas stated that "a delegation from the movement, led by Khalil Al-Hayya, deputy head of the movement in Gaza, arrived in Cairo on Thursday morning to continue discussions regarding the ceasefire."

On Wednesday, Al-Qahera News TV, citing an Egyptian official source, reported that the talks, sponsored by Egypt and Qatar, will primarily focus on pursuing a truce in the war-torn strip and facilitating a swap deal of captives.

The source added that "Egypt has urged all parties involved in the ongoing talks to show flexibility" to de-escalate the situation.  

Egypt and Qatar helped mediate a week-long ceasefire in November, in which Hamas freed over 100 captives in exchange for 240 detained Palestinian women and children.

A senior Hamas source told Al-Araby Al-Jadeed on Wednesday that the delegation will conduct indirect negotiations with the Israeli government regarding the Paris Agreement for a ceasefire and the captives exchange deal.

The source added that the Hamas delegation is set to meet during the visit to Cairo, scheduled for several days, with the head of the Egyptian General Intelligence Service Abbas Kamel to discuss developments in Gaza.

Talks have been ongoing on a framework deal thrashed out during a meeting in Paris involving Egyptian, Qatari, Israeli, and US officials in late January.

Hamas and Israel: Responses

 

According to media reports, the Paris proposal includes a 45-day truce, where 35-40 Israeli captives – mainly women, elderly, and wounded – will be released in its first phase in exchange for 100-250 Palestinian prisoners for each captive.

Hamas has already handed its response to the deal to both Egypt and Qatar, officials from both countries said on Tuesday. 

In response to Hamas’ reaction, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday claimed that accepting the Palestinian resistance group's "bizarre demands" for a ceasefire would not lead to the return of captives.

After meeting with Netanyahu on Wednesday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, on his fifth Middle East tour since 7 October, said: “While there are some clear non-starters in Hamas' response, we do think it creates space for agreement to be reached, and we will work at that relentlessly until we get there.”

Israeli Channel 12 quoted Israeli officials as saying that Tel Aviv would not respond to the amendments proposed by Hamas until after the meeting of the Security and Political Cabinet on Thursday evening.

Earlier, Israeli officials responded to the captives deal draft issued by Hamas asking for the withdrawal of Israel from Gaza, saying: “We won’t be able to accept a demand to stop the war,” Israeli Ynet reported.

“The draft asks for the release of 1,500 Palestinian prisoners, some of whom are high-profile,” they added.

Hamas has proposed a ceasefire plan that would quiet the guns in Gaza for four and a half months leading to an end to the war. 

According to a draft document that appeared in the media, Hamas' counterproposal envisions three phases lasting 45 days each.

According to Hamas' proposal, all Israeli women captives, males under 19, the elderly, and the sick would be released during the first 45-day phase in exchange for the release of Palestinian women and children from Israeli jails.

The remaining male captives would be released during the second phase. By the end of the third phase, Hamas would expect the sides to have agreed on an end to the war.

The group said in an addendum to the proposal that it wished for the release of 1,500 prisoners, a third of whom it wanted to select from the list of Palestinians handed life sentences by Israel.