(Adnkronos) – A Hamas delegation has arrived in Cairo, Egypt for new talks on a truce with Israel. Made up of three members of the group that took control of the Gaza Strip in 2007, the delegation left from Doha, Qatar, for talks – the sources specify – on the latest proposal for a ceasefire and the release of the hostages held in the He has been crawling since October 7 in exchange for the release of Palestinians held in Israeli prisons.
”The latest proposal presented by Israel is still being studied” by Hamas, a representative of the Hamas politburo, Izzat al-Risheq, told the Israeli newspaper Haaretz. At the moment, he specified, Hamas has not yet taken any position on the draft agreement.
Previously there had been talk of an opening on the part of the Palestinian terrorist group that it would not have “any significant problem” with the latest proposal from Israel and Egypt.
Cairo has drawn up a new proposed agreement between Israel and Hamas which provides for the release of twenty hostages from the Gaza Strip in exchange for a three-week ceasefire. The Wall Street Journal writes this, underlining that the objective of the proposal is also to postpone the possible offensive in Rafah. The proposal was agreed with Israel, writes the WSJ, and provides for an initial pause in the fighting which would then be extended by the mediators. It is unclear, Egyptian officials say, whether this pause will lead to an end to the war.
At least 13 Palestinians were killed in Israeli raids in Rafah, medical sources in Gaza said, according to which the air strikes on three houses in the city in the south of the Strip also left many injured. Hamas media instead speak of 15 deaths.
During the telephone conversation between Biden and Netanyahu, the two leaders “discussed Rafah” and the US president “reaffirmed his clear position”, as the White House reports in a note. Biden also reaffirmed “his firm commitment to Israel’s security following the successful defense against Iran’s unprecedented attack with missiles and drones earlier this month. He also took stock of the ongoing talks to ensure the release of the hostages and an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.”
The President of the United States “referred to his statement, together with 17 other world leaders, in which he called on Hamas to release its citizens without delay to ensure a ceasefire and relief for the people of Gaza. The President and the Prime Minister also discussed the increase in humanitarian assistance to Gaza, including through preparations for the opening of new northern crossings starting this week. The President underlined the need for this progress to be sustained and strengthened in full coordination with the humanitarian organizations”.
Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has arrived in Saudi Arabia, the first stop on his Middle East tour to try to obtain a ceasefire in Gaza and improve the humanitarian crisis in the besieged enclave. In Riyadh, Blinken is expected to meet senior leaders Saudi Arabia and hold a broader meeting with counterparts from five Arab states – Qatar, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Jordan – to discuss governance of the Gaza Strip after the war, according to a senior State Department official. Blinken it will then go to Israel and Jordan, the US State Department announced.
