A Palestinian man sits outside his tent, next to a destroyed building in Jabalia in the northern Gaza Strip. AFP
According to Egypt’s State Information Service (SIS), the talks, mediated by Egypt and Qatar with US participation, resumed on Thursday when Israeli and Qatari delegations arrived in Cairo.
Hamas opposes Israel’s proposal to extend the first phase of the ceasefire and insists on moving to the second phase as initially agreed, the sources said.
In a statement on Friday, Hamas urged the international community to pressure Israel to "immediately enter the second phase of the agreement without any delay."
However, two Israeli government officials told Reuters that Israel was seeking to extend the initial phase, with Hamas releasing three Israelis each week in exchange for Palestinian prisoners.
The ceasefire, reached after months of negotiations, has largely halted Israel’s 15-month aggression on Gaza, which has killed more than 48,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children.
The first phase will expire on Saturday; however, what will happen if no agreement is reached is unclear.
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