"A delegation of the Hamas leadership, headed by [senior official] Khalil al-Hayya, will leave for Cairo tomorrow, Sunday, at the invitation of the brothers in Egypt. Hamas reaffirms its commitment to its position set out on March 14, its natural demands for an end to the [Israeli] aggression," a statement seen by Sputnik read.
The movement's demands include, in particular, a complete ceasefire, the withdrawal of the Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip, the return of the internally displaced persons to their homes, the free movement of Gazans and the free entry of humanitarian aid to the enclave, as well as a "serious" prisoner exchange deal, the statement read.
CIA Director William Burns, Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani and an Israeli delegation will also attend the talks, Egyptian broadcaster Al Qahera News reported, citing informed Egyptian sources.
There have been several rounds of ceasefire talks in the Gaza Strip in recent months, but they have so far failed. Al Thani said that Israel's opposition to Palestinians returning to the northern Gaza Strip was hampering progress on the truce talks, which have stalled on the same points discussed in Paris in March.
On October 7, 2023, Palestinian movement Hamas launched a large-scale rocket attack against Israel and breached the border, attacking both civilian neighborhoods and military bases. Nearly 1,200 people in Israel were killed and some 240 others abducted during the attack.
Israel launched retaliatory strikes, ordered a complete blockade of Gaza, and started a ground incursion into the Palestinian enclave with the declared goal of eliminating Hamas fighters and rescuing the hostages. Over 33,100 people have been killed so far by Israeli strikes in the Gaza Strip, according to local authorities. Over 100 hostages are still believed to be held by Hamas in Gaza.