ALBAWABA - A delegation, led by deputy Hamas leader Khalil al-Hayya, has arrived in the Egyptian capital, Cairo, to continue the ceasefire talks with Israel, under the mediation of Egypt, Qatar, and the United States alongside several other mediators.
Osama Hamdan, a senior Hamas official in Lebanon, confirmed the trip at a news conference in Beirut, while an Egyptian official told AFP that "a new round of negotiations" will begin on Thursday in Cairo to achieve "calm in the Gaza Strip".
Over the course of a couple of days, the Hamas delegation is expected to hold a number of meetings with several officials from the mediating countries, including Abbas Kamel, Director of the General Intelligence Directorate of Egypt.
According to Israeli reports citing Al-Akhbar newspaper, an Israeli delegation was on Thursday going to Egypt as part of negotiations on a possible deal for a ceasefire in Gaza.
Antony Blinken, the US secretary of state, is on his fifth trip to the region since the Hamas attacks on October 7. He said on Wednesday that a cease-fire and hostage-release agreement between Israel and Hamas was still possible, despite the two sides' disagreement on the central terms of a deal.
Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, also confirmed that the Israel Forces had been ordered to begin operations in Rafah, a southern Gaza city whose population has grown by hundreds of thousands of displaced people.
Al-Aqsa Flood operation against Israel
Hamas military group announced on Oct. 7 a military operation called "Al-Aqsa Flood" against Israel which is the biggest offensive in decades.
Palestinian fighters “infiltrated” Israel from the Gaza Strip and captured military bases and took hostages as photos and videos went viral online showing Hamas fighters on vehicles inside Israel and others paragliding into occupation territory.
In response, Israeli armed forces announced targeting Hamas positions inside the Gaza Strip. Thousands were killed, and dozens of thousands of others were injured in the Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip.
The latest statistics by the Ministry of Health in Gaza revealed that the death toll from Israeli brutal pounding on the Gaza Strip since October 7 has soared to 27,708 people, with more than 67,174 injuries.
Since then, approximately 85% of Gazans have been displaced, all of whom are suffering from severe food insecurity, and the healthcare system has collapsed. Hundreds of thousands of people lack shelter, and aid trucks are entering the area at a lower rate than before the conflict began.
