By Nidal al-Mughrabi and Ahmed Mohamed Hassan
CAIRO (Reuters) -Hamas negotiators arrived in Cairo on Saturday for intensified talks on a doable Gaza truce that might see the return to Israel of some hostages, a Hamas official advised Reuters, with the CIA director already current for the oblique diplomacy.
Egypt’s state-affiliated Al-Qahera Information TV channel additionally confirmed the arrival of the Hamas delegation in Cairo.
“The results today will be different. We have reached an agreement over many points, and a few point remain,” one Egyptian safety supply advised Reuters.
A Palestinian official with data of the mediation efforts sounded cautious optimism.
“Things look better this time but whether an agreement is on hand would depend on whether Israel has offered what it takes for that to happen,” the official, who requested to not be named, advised Reuters.
The Hamas delegation arrived from the Palestinian Islamist motion’s headquarters in Qatar, which, together with Egypt, has tried to mediate a follow-up to a short November ceasefire. Washington, whereas formally shunning Hamas, has known as on it to enter a deal.
The talks have stumbled, nevertheless, over Hamas’ long-standing demand for a dedication to finish the just about seven-month-old offensive by Israel, which insists that after any truce it will resume operations designed to disarm and dismantle the faction.
Signalling a doable breakthrough, Hamas mentioned on Friday it will come to Cairo in a “positive spirit” after learning the newest proposal for a deal, little of which has been made public. Israel has beforehand mentioned it was open to the brand new phrases.
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Egyptian sources mentioned William Burns, director of the U.S. Central Intelligence Company, arrived in Cairo on Friday. He has been concerned in earlier rounds of truce talks and Washington has signalled there could also be progress this time.
The CIA declined to touch upon Burns’ itinerary.
Egypt made a renewed push to revive negotiations late final
month, alarmed by the prospect of an Israeli assault in opposition to Hamas in Rafah in southern Gaza, the place greater than 1 million Palestinians have taken shelter close to the border with Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula.
A serious Israeli operation in Rafah might deal an enormous blow to fragile humanitarian operations in Gaza and put many extra lives in danger, in response to U.N. officers.
The struggle started after Hamas staged a cross-border raid on Oct. 7 by which 1,200 individuals in southern Israel have been killed and 252 hostages taken, in response to Israeli tallies.
Greater than 34,600 Palestinians have been killed and greater than 77,000 have been wounded by Israeli hearth throughout a marketing campaign that has laid waste to the coastal enclave, in response to Gaza’s well being ministry.
