Hamas Delegation Scheduled to be in Cairo to Discuss Ceasefire in Gaza Conflict Today

JAKARTA - A delegation of the Palestinian militant group Hamas will visit Cairo, Egypt on Monday for talks aimed at reaching a ceasefire, a Hamas official told Reuters on Sunday, as mediators stepped up efforts to reach a deal ahead of Israel's offensive on the southern city of Rafah.

The official, who asked not to be named, said their delegation would discuss the ceasefire proposal that Hamas submitted to mediators from Qatar and Egypt, as well as Israel's response.

He did not reveal details of the latest proposal, but a source familiar with the negotiations told Reuters that Hamas was expected to respond to Israel's proposed phased ceasefire in Gaza presented on Saturday, as reported on April 29.

The source further said this included an agreement to accept the release of just under 40 hostages in exchange for the release of Palestinians held in Israeli prisons, as well as a second phase of a ceasefire that included a "sustained period of calm", an Israeli compromise response to Hamas’ demands for a permanent ceasefire.

After the first stage, Israel will allow free movement between southern and northern Gaza and the partial withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza, the source said.

Another senior Hamas official told Reuters that the delegation would fly to Cairo from Qatar's capital Doha, adding that it would be led by Khalil Al-Hayya, Hamas' deputy head in Gaza.

Talks will take place between a Hamas delegation and Qatari and Egyptian mediators to discuss statements the group made regarding Israel's response to their recent proposals.

"Hamas has several questions and inquiries regarding Israel's response to its proposal, which the movement received from mediators on Friday," the official told Reuters.

Separately, the White House said, US President Joe Biden spoke on Sunday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, reviewing talks designed to secure the release of hostages held since the Hamas-led attack on Israel on October 7 plus an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.

They also discussed increasing the speed of aid deliveries, including preparations to open new crossings into Gaza, he said.

"The President emphasized the need for this progress to be maintained and enhanced through full coordination with humanitarian organizations," the statement said.

President Biden also "reaffirmed his clear position" regarding a possible invasion of the city of Rafah on the Gaza border, the White House said.

Washington says it cannot support the Rafah operation without a proper and credible humanitarian plan.

It is known that since the Hamas-Israel war broke out on October 7, 2023, the conflict, which has entered its seventh month, has caused tens of thousands of deaths and injuries.

The Hamas-run Health Ministry announced Sunday that Israeli soldiers killed 66 Palestinians and injured 138 others over the past 24 hours, bringing the total death toll to 34,454 and the injured to 77,575, since the Israel-Hamas conflict broke out on October 7. 2023, quoted from Xinhua.

The war was sparked by attacks by Hamas militants into southern Israel that killed 1,200 people and took 253 hostages, according to Israeli estimates. The war has displaced most of the 2.3 million population and destroyed much of the enclave.

Israel is known to have threatened to launch an attack on Rafah, stepping up airstrikes there last week, insisting they needed to get into Rafah to destroy the remaining Hamas battalions there.

Western countries, including Israel's closest ally, the United States, have asked Israel to refrain from attacking the city which borders the Egyptian border and hosts more than a million Palestinians who fled the war in the north that broke out on October 7, 2023.