More peace talks underway between Israel and Hamas in Cairo to secure release of hostages still trapped in Gaza after nearly seven months of fighting
- Hamas has flown delegates from Qatar in a ‘positive spirit’
Peace talks were underway in Cairo last night on a ceasefire in Gaza, which US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has called “a no-brainer” for Hamas.
Hamas said its delegation flew from Qatar in a “positive spirit” after reviewing the ceasefire proposal, which would end the fighting and return the hostages to Israel.
“We are committed to reaching an agreement in a manner that meets the demands of the Palestinians,” said a statement from the Islamist militant group’s negotiators.
Plumes of smoke rise into the sky after an Israeli bombardment in the central Gaza Strip
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken (pictured) called the peace deal ‘a no-brainer’ for Hamas
Palestinian children who fled the city of Rafah join crowds to protest for peace
The main question seems to be whether the ceasefire would be permanent or temporary.
Taher Al-Nono, a Hamas official, said meetings with Egyptian and Qatari mediators had begun and that Hamas was treating their proposals “with full seriousness.”
He reiterated the group’s demand that any deal should include Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza and an end to the war – conditions that Israel has previously rejected.
An Israeli official said: “Under no circumstances will Israel agree to end the war as part of an agreement to free our hostages.”
The war began after Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, killing 1,200 people and taking 252 hostages.
According to the Gaza Health Ministry, more than 34,600 Palestinians have been killed and more than 77,000 injured during Israel’s military operation.
There was some optimism that a deal could be reached.
“Things look better this time, but whether there will be an agreement depends on whether Israel has offered what is needed to make that happen,” a Palestinian official told Reuters.
Israel has given a preliminary nod to the terms, which one source said include the return of between 20 and 33 hostages in exchange for the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners and a weeks-long suspension of fighting.
That, according to Israel, would leave about 100 hostages in Gaza, some of whom have died in captivity.
The source told Reuters that their return may require an additional agreement with broader Israeli concessions.
“That could mean a de facto, if not formal, end to the war – unless Israel somehow gets them back by force or applies enough military pressure to get Hamas to give in,” the source said.
Egyptian sources said CIA Director William Burns arrived in Cairo on Friday.
He has been involved in previous ceasefire talks, and Washington has indicated that progress may be made this time, with Mr Blinken saying that “accepting a ceasefire should be a no-brainer” for Hamas.
Meanwhile, Cindy McCain, the director of the UN World Food Program, has said that northern Gaza has entered a “full famine” that is moving south.
“It’s horror,” she told NBC, adding that a ceasefire and an increased flow of aid were desperately needed.