Hamas & Israeli Negotiators Arrive in Cairo for Ceasefire Talks

Since Tuesday, Egypt is hosting delegations from Hamas, Israel, Qatar and the U.S. with the aim of reaching a comprehensive truce in Gaza, Al-Qahera News TV channel reported.

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The Israeli delegation included members of the Israeli intelligence agency Mossad and Shin Bet security agency. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu instructed the delegation to "continue to stand firm on the conditions necessary for the release of our hostages, continue to stand firm on the essential requirements to ensure Israel's security."

However, he noted that the ceasefire proposal, brokered by Egyptian and Qatari mediators and approved by Hamas on Monday, fell short of Israel's essential requirements.

Egypt is "making every effort to reach a comprehensive truce," the Al-Qahera News quoted an unnamed high-ranking source as saying. The source added that Egypt was engaged in communication with various parties in order to contain the crisis.

The text reads, "This image is not from a horror movie. It is the reality that is currently being experienced in Rafah, south of Gaza, with the massive Zionist bombings. Several Palestinian children were crushed under the rubble of their house when they were trying to escape from the bombs. How can this barbarism be allowed? These are crimes that escape the logic of the human mind."

On Tuesday, the Israeli occupation army launched an operation against Rafah, where over 1 million internally displaced Palestinians have sought refuge since Israel's offensive began on Oct. 7, 2023.

At least 20 people have been killed in Israel's attacks on Rafah since Tuesday morning, Palestinian official news agency WAFA reported. United Nations Secretary Antonio Guterres called on both Israel and Hamas to end the ongoing conflict.

"We are at a decisive moment for the Palestinian and Israeli people and for the fate of the entire region. An agreement between the government of Israel and the leadership of Hamas is essential to stop the unbearable suffering of Palestinians in Gaza and of the hostages and their families," he pointed out. 

Cairo, Doha and Washington mediated a week-long truce between Israel and Hamas that ended in late November 2023, which included a swap between Palestinian prisoners and Israeli hostages and more humanitarian aid delivery to Gaza.