GAZA CITY: Senior Hamas leaders are participating in high-stakes talks with Egyptian mediators in Cairo, with expectations of “real progress” toward a ceasefire deal to end the ongoing war in Gaza, according to a senior official from the Palestinian group.
The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, expressed cautious optimism that the current round of negotiations could bring meaningful developments. “We hope the meeting will achieve real progress towards reaching an agreement to end the war, halt the aggression, and ensure the full withdrawal of occupation forces from Gaza,” the official stated.
Leading the Hamas delegation is Khalil al-Hayya, the group’s chief negotiator. Despite reports in Israeli media about potential draft agreements exchanged between Israel and Egypt, the Hamas official said that the group had not yet received any formal ceasefire proposals. However, he confirmed that discussions with mediators were ongoing.
The talks come amid continued violence in the Gaza Strip. On Saturday, Israel launched air strikes and artillery shelling in response to three projectiles fired from Gaza, which were intercepted by the Israeli military. The Gaza civil defence agency reported that an Israeli air strike targeted a house in Gaza City. According to local sources and AFP footage, four men were killed in the strike, and their bodies, wrapped in white shrouds, were laid out at a hospital as relatives gathered for funeral prayers.
The ongoing hostilities have claimed thousands of lives. According to Gaza’s health ministry, at least 1,542 Palestinians have been killed since the latest round of conflict resumed on March 18, when Israel ended a two-month ceasefire with Hamas. The overall death toll since the beginning of the war now stands at 50,912.
The United Nations human rights office has raised alarm over the humanitarian consequences of the conflict. A recent report stated that dozens of Israeli strikes had resulted in the deaths of “only women and children,” and warned that expanding evacuation orders were forcing people into increasingly overcrowded areas. The report cited concerns about “forcible transfer” and questioned the future viability of the Palestinian population in Gaza.
Meanwhile, international diplomatic efforts continue to intensify. U.S. President Donald Trump indicated earlier this week that a deal to secure the release of hostages held in Gaza was nearing completion. “We’re getting close to getting them back,” Trump said during a cabinet meeting.
According to reports by The Times of Israel, Egypt has proposed a new agreement involving the release of eight living hostages and eight bodies in exchange for a truce lasting 40 to 70 days, along with a large-scale release of Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails.
The ceasefire that ended in mid-March had resulted in the release of 33 hostages, eight of whom were deceased, and around 1,800 Palestinian prisoners. The resumption of Israeli air strikes and ground operations has since escalated the humanitarian crisis, with aid supplies to Gaza also heavily restricted.
Despite the challenges, the ongoing negotiations in Cairo are seen as a critical opportunity to de-escalate the conflict and prevent further bloodshed.
