Hamas's delegation arrived in Cairo on Saturday to negotiate through Egyptian mediators a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and the release of the captives. The group reported it was traveling to Cairo “in order to reach an agreement on a ceasefire in Gaza.”
“Hamas agrees to release 33 Israeli hostages in the ‘first stage’ [of the agreement]. This position is different from the previous one... At the beginning of the talks, Hamas claimed to have 20 hostages, and it seems to have been able to find the remaining civilians,” the source told the media outlet.
Israeli-Hamas talks on ceasefire in the Gaza Strip being held with Egyptian mediators in Cairo ended inconclusively on Saturday with a new round to be held on Sunday, US media outlet CBS News claimed citing sources within the Palestinian movement.
Meanwhile, the Dubai-based Al Hadath television network previously claimed Hamas had agreed to release 33 Israeli hostages in the first phase of a cease-fire deal.
Previously, the Wall Street Journal reported that Israel gave Hamas a week to accept a ceasefire proposal in the Gaza Strip, otherwise threatening to launch a military operation in Rafah.
CNN, citing sources, released details of a new proposal to Hamas, prepared by mediators from Egypt. According to the US news outlet, the new proposal was drafted with Israel's input. The first phase of the agreement includes the release of 20-33 hostages over several weeks in exchange for a pause in hostilities and the release of Palestinian prisoners in Israel. The length of the cease-fire will depend on the number of hostages tha t can be released.
The second phase would involve “restoring sustained calm” in the Gaza Strip. According to a diplomatic source, the wording implies “a way to agree on a permanent ceasefire without having to call it that.” During this phase Hamas's remaining hostages, including captured IDF soldiers, and the bodies of the dead will be exchanged for more Palestinian prisoners. Israel, meanwhile, has not abandoned plans to achieve all of its stated objectives of its Gaza operation, including the complete elimination of Hamas.