Hamas delegation to arrive in Egypt today for Gaza ceasefire talks

Hamas has said its delegation will arrive in Egypt’s capital Cairo on Saturday for talks for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.

For the past few days, Hamas has been studying a ceasefire proposal presented to it during the latest rounds of talks held in Cairo. While the specifics of the proposal are not yet public, any deal will include a ceasefire in Gaza in lieu of the release of hostages in captivity. Hundreds of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails are also expected to be released along with other concessions on Israel’s part.

While talks had been stalled for weeks, the negotiations have picked up pace lately. The United States along with regional partners Egypt and Qatar are facilitating negotiations between Hamas and Israel.

Determined to achieve complete cessation of aggression: Hamas

In a statement released on Friday, Hamas said that it is determined to achieve a deal that includes a “complete cessation of aggression”.

“We in Hamas and the Palestinian resistance forces are determined to achieve an agreement that fulfils our people’s demands for a complete cessation of the aggression, the withdrawal of the occupation forces, the return of the displaced, relief and reconstruction, and a serious exchange deal,” said Hamas in the statement carried by AFP.

The statement further said, “We emphasise the positive spirit with which the Hamas leadership dealt with the ceasefire proposal it recently received, and we are going to Cairo in the same spirit to reach an agreement.”

Previously, Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh said the group was studying the latest ceasefire proposal in “positive spirit”.

While the specifics of the deal are not out, AFP reported that the deal being discussed includes a ceasefire for 40 days in exchange for hostages in Gaza and prisoners in Israeli jails.

Israeli invasion of Rafah a roadblock

The repeated assertions of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that he would order the invasion of Rafah, the town in southern Gaza where more than 1 million displaced Palestinians are sheltering, have emerged as a “major stumbling block”, according to AFP.

Hamas is the last remaining town in Gaza where major fighting has not taken place. Multiple battalions of Hamas are understood to be making their last stand in the town amidst more than 1 million internally displaced Palestinians.

The United States and much of the international community has warned Israel against the invasion of Rafah. They have aid that an operation without adequate arrangements to evacuate and rehabilitate the civilians would lead to a humanitarian disaster.

A top Hamas official on Friday accused Netanyahu of trying to derail the ongoing efforts for a truce in Gaza.

“Netanyahu was the obstructionist of all previous rounds of dialogue… and it is clear that he still is,” senior Hamas official Hossam Badran told AFP.