Return of displaced Palestinians to north Gaza among terms of potential truce deal: Source

Ahram Online , Sunday 5 May 2024

"Positive progress" has been made in the Gaza truce negotiations currently taking place in Cairo, a high-level Egyptian source told Al-Qahera News on Sunday.

Palestinians walk with their belongings in Beit Lahya in the northern Gaza Strip on May 4, 2024, ami
Palestinians walk with their belongings in Beit Lahya in the northern Gaza Strip on May 4, 2024, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the militant group Hamas. AFP

 

The source emphasized that the reports circulating regarding the terms of a potential deal are inaccurate and that the Egyptian delegation involved in the talks is actively engaged in consultations with all parties involved.

The source revealed that one of the key elements of the potential deal is the return of displaced Palestinians from the south to the northern part of the Gaza Strip.

Mediators from Egypt, Qatar, and the US have stepped up efforts over the past few days to seal a ceasefire deal as Israel threatens to storm the border city of Rafah.

A Hamas delegation arrived in Cairo on Saturday to respond to the truce proposal currently on the table, which, according to media reports, involves a 40-day ceasefire and the exchange of Israeli captives for Palestinian prisoners.

Israel has yet to send a delegation to Cairo, with a top official telling AFP that it would do so only if there was "positive movement" on the proposed framework.

A high-level source told Al-Qahera News yesterday that the Egyptian security delegation participating in the talks was able to help the Palestinian and Israeli sides reach “a consensus formula” on many points of disagreement.

Hamas has previously stressed the need for a lasting ceasefire in the strip and concrete conditions for the unconditional return of displaced individuals to northern Gaza.

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

Israel, whose brutal war on the Gaza Strip has continued for nearly seven months, faces growing international pressure to agree to a ceasefire in Gaza.

Since 7 October, the Israeli army has killed more than 34,000 Palestinians in Gaza and wounded over 77,000, most of whom are women and children.

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