Authorities from Hamas and the CIA, the US intelligence agency, will meet with Egyptian mediators to discuss an agreement for a truce and the release of hostages in the Gaza Strip this Saturday (4), an Egyptian source said.
Hamas' announcement that it would send a delegation to Cairo, the capital of Egypt, came on Friday (3), hours after CIA director William Burns arrived in Egypt, according to sources.
It is not yet clear whether separate or joint meetings will be held.
Egypt, along with Qatar and the United States, has led mediation efforts between Israel and Hamas towards a ceasefire agreement in the conflict that began on October 7.
Hamas said its delegates would travel to Cairo in a “positive spirit” after studying the latest proposal for a truce agreement.
“We are determined to secure an agreement that meets the demands of the Palestinians,” the armed group said in a statement.
An American official said the United States believes there has been some progress in negotiations but is still waiting to hear more.
The CIA declined to comment, following its policy of not disclosing the director's travels.
Obstacle in negotiations
Truce negotiations continued for months without a decisive breakthrough. Israel has highlighted that it is determined to eliminate Hamas, while the group says it wants a permanent ceasefire and full Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip.
Egypt made another attempt to restart negotiations late last month.
The country is alarmed by the prospect of an Israeli ground operation against Hamas in Rafah, a city in southern Gaza where more than 1 million people have taken shelter near the border with Egypt's Sinai Peninsula.
Egyptian sources say both sides have made some concessions recently, leading to progress in the talks, although Israel continues to warn that an operation in Rafah is imminent.
The war began after Hamas carried out an attack on October 7 in southern Israel in which 1,200 people were killed and 253 hostages were captured, according to Israeli records.
More than 34,000 Palestinians were killed and more than 77,000 were injured by Israeli fire during military action that devastated the coastal territory, according to the Hamas-controlled Gaza Ministry of Health.
A major Israeli operation in Rafah could deal a huge blow to the fragile humanitarian operations in Gaza and put many more lives at risk, according to UN officials.
Source: CNN Brasil
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