Hamas delegation arrives in Egypt to secure ceasefire deal

A delegation from the Palestinian group Hamas has arrived in Cairo to advance negotiations aimed at securing a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, The New Arab reported on August 13.

The delegation, which is led by senior Hamas official Khalil al-Hayya, will meet with Egyptian authorities to discuss the deteriorating situation in the Gaza strip, as well as the current state of affairs in the West Bank and Jerusalem.

According to a statement from Hamas on its official Telegram channel, the talks “will focus on ways to stop the war on Gaza, allow the entry of aid, end the suffering of our people, address internal Palestinian relations to reach [a] national consensus on all political issues, and develop bilateral relations with our brothers in Egypt.”

Reports from Israel’s Channel 12 indicate that Tel Aviv is considering dispatching a high-level delegation to Doha to negotiate a comprehensive agreement rather than a partial deal, following a meeting in Spain between US envoy Steve Witkoff and Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government maintains that any ceasefire must include the dismantling of Hamas’s military and governing infrastructure in Gaza, preventing the group from resuming control of the territory. Hamas has previously rejected these conditions, insisting that Israeli forces first end their offensive, withdraw from the enclave, and allow more aid to reach civilians.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty stated on August 12 that Egypt, Washington and Doha are attempting to restore a previous ceasefire proposal, which includes a 60-day ceasefire in Gaza and the release of Israeli hostages held in Gaza, in exchange for Palestinian captives and prisoners.

The military escalation has taken a devastating toll. Since the 7th of October 2023, over 61,600 people have been killed in Gaza, including at least 227 from starvation-related causes linked to restricted humanitarian access. Violence has also spread to the West Bank, where clashes continue.

The New Arab, Maghrebi.org