High-ranking Egyptian security officials met Yesterday in Cairo with Hamas leaders to restart discussions on a ceasefire in Gaza .
The talks, first reported by Cairo News, focused on proposals to end hostilities, including conditions for prisoner exchanges and the provision of humanitarian aid.
Khalil al-Hayya, a senior member of Hamas’s political bureau and head of its delegation, confirmed to Al-Aqsa Television that the group is “ready to cease hostilities under conditions that require Israel to end military operations and withdraw from Gaza.”
Al-Hayya emphasized that the terms include the return of displaced persons and a serious approach to a prisoner exchange agreement.
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu welcomed Egypt’s initiative and praised Cairo’s role in fostering an agreement aimed at securing the release of detainees.
Netanyahu’s office reported that he has directed the head of Mossad to travel to Doha to garner broader international support for these peace efforts and seek the backing of Israel’s cabinet members.
The discussions come shortly after U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, during a visit to Doha, expressed optimism that negotiators would reconvene soon in the Qatari capital.
The aim is to establish a truce amid escalating violence in Gaza following Hamas’s unprecedented attack in Israel on October 7.
Earlier statements from Egypt’s Foreign Minister, Badr Abdel Ati, underscored Cairo’s position, asserting that Israel’s military strategies “based on force and arrogance” have failed to achieve peace and security for the region.
