Hamas announced on Friday that it would send a delegation to Cairo to discuss a possible truce and the release of hostages in Gaza. This announcement came just hours after U.S. CIA Director William Burns arrived in Cairo, according to Egyptian sources.
Egypt, along with Qatar and the United States, has been trying to mediate between Israel and Hamas to reach a ceasefire agreement since the conflict began on October 7.
An Egyptian security source said that representatives from Hamas and the CIA would meet with Egyptian mediators on Saturday. It wasn’t clear if they would meet together or separately.
Hamas indicated that it was approaching these talks with a positive mindset after reviewing the latest proposal for a truce. The Palestinian militant group stated that its goal is to secure an agreement that meets Palestinians’ demands.
A U.S. official noted that there had been some progress in the discussions, but they were waiting for more details. The CIA declined to comment on the matter, following its usual policy of not disclosing the director’s travel plans.
Despite months of ceasefire discussions, there has not been a major breakthrough. Israel has made clear its intent to eliminate Hamas, while Hamas seeks a permanent ceasefire and a complete Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.
Egypt renewed its push to facilitate negotiations last month, partly due to its concerns about a potential Israeli ground operation against Hamas in Rafah, located in southern Gaza. This area has become a refuge for more than a million people who fled there during the ongoing conflict.
Egyptian sources said that both sides have made some compromises, leading to some progress in the talks. However, Israel has maintained that a ground operation in Rafah could still happen.
The war started after Hamas launched a cross-border attack on October 7, which resulted in the deaths of 1,200 people in southern Israel and the capture of 253 hostages, according to Israeli reports.
The Gaza Health Ministry reports that over 34,000 Palestinians have died and more than 77,000 have been injured due to Israeli attacks, which have devastated the Gaza Strip.
A significant Israeli ground operation in Rafah could greatly impact ongoing humanitarian efforts in Gaza and put more lives in danger, according to U.N. officials.
