Egypt’s intelligence chief Hassan Rashad discussed Gaza ceasefire efforts with an Israeli delegation in Cairo on Monday night. [Getty]
Negotiations held in Cairo to reach a ceasefire in Gaza were on the verge of a “significant breakthrough,” two Egyptian security sources told Reuters on Monday.
There was no immediate comment from Israel and Hamas. Axios reporter Barak Ravid said in a brief post on X that an Israeli official denied the reported breakthrough, without giving further details.
The Egyptian sources said there was a consensus on a long-term ceasefire in the besieged enclave, yet some sticking points remain, including over Israel’s demand that Hamas surrender its arms.
Hamas has repeatedly ruled out disarmament as a red line.
Earlier, Egyptian state-affiliated Al Qahera News TV reported that Egyptian intelligence chief General Hassan Mahmoud Rashad was set to meet an Israeli delegation headed by Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer on Monday in Cairo.
The sources said the ongoing talks included Egyptian and Israeli delegations.
Mediators Egypt and Qatar did not report developments on the latest talks. Qatar Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said on Sunday that a recent meeting in Doha on efforts to reach a ceasefire made some progress, but noted there was no agreement yet on how to end the war.
He said the group is willing to return all remaining Israeli prisoners if Israel ends the war in Gaza. But Israel wants Hamas to release them without offering a clear vision on ending the war, he added.
The media adviser for the Hamas leadership, Taher Al-Nono, told Reuters on Saturday that the group was open to a years-long truce with Israel in Gaza, adding that the group hoped to build support among mediators for its offer.
Speaking at a conference in Jerusalem on Monday night, before Reuters reported that there had been progress in the talks, Dermer said the government remained committed to dismantling Hamas’ military capability, ending its rule in Gaza, ensuring that the enclave never again poses a threat to Israel and returning the prisoners.
Israel resumed its offensive in Gaza on 18 March, ending the six-week ceasefire that came into effect in January, saying it would keep up pressure on Hamas until it frees the remaining captives. Up to 24 of them are believed to be still alive.
It reimposed its blockade and cut electricity to the strip at the beginning of March, triggering global outrage and accusations that it using starvation as a weapon of war.
Rapidly dwindling food and medical supplies are further intensifying the humanitarian crisis faced by the territory’s 2.2 million residents.
The war started after Hamas’ 7 October, 2023, attack which killed 1,200 people and resulted in 251 soldiers and civilians being taken prisoner in Gaza.
Israel’s brutal offensive on the enclave has since killed more than 52,000 and injured almost 118,000, according to the Gaza health ministry.
(Reuters and TNA staff)
