Hamas leader Taher al-Nunu said in a statement: "At a generous Egyptian invitation, a Hamas leadership delegation headed by Dr. Khalil al-Hayya arrived in Cairo to hold talks with Egyptian officials on the latest developments related to the war of extermination in Gaza and the overall situation in the West Bank, Jerusalem, and Al-Aqsa Mosque."
Al-Nunu indicated that the delegation has begun preliminary talks for the meetings, which will begin Wednesday. These talks will focus on ways to stop the war on the Gaza Strip, deliver aid, and end the suffering of our people in Gaza. They will also focus on internal Palestinian relations with a view to reaching national consensus on all political issues, as well as bilateral relations with our brothers in Egypt and ways to develop them.
Al-Nunu praised "Egypt's efforts on all previous issues under the leadership of President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi," stressing that "relations with Egypt are solid and strong, and joint work has not stopped on various issues."
On Tuesday, Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdel Aty said that his country is working with Qatar and the United States to return to the 60-day truce proposal in the Gaza Strip.
"The main goal is to return to the original proposal: a 60-day ceasefire, the release of some hostages and Palestinian detainees, and the unimpeded entry of humanitarian and medical aid into Gaza," Abdel-Ati said during a press conference in Cairo.
Abdel-Ati did not provide further details about the proposal, which emerged during the latest round of indirect negotiations between Hamas and Israel in Doha, which ended without results on July 24.
In a related development, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Tuesday that his country would "allow" Gaza residents who wish to flee the ongoing war in the territory to leave, as the military prepares to expand its campaign.
The American website Axios quoted sources as saying that Israel is considering sending a high-level delegation to the Qatari capital, Doha, later this week. The website stated that the delegation aims to meet with Qatari officials as part of efforts to resume negotiations on the prisoner exchange deal. The website believes that the Israeli delegation's arrival in Doha means that the talks will explore a comprehensive deal to end the war and release all prisoners.
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Earlier, Hebrew media reported that the proposal included a 60-day ceasefire, during which 10 living Israeli prisoners would be released in two phases (eight on the first day, and two on the fiftieth day). It also included the return of the bodies of 18 other prisoners in three phases, in exchange for the release of Palestinian prisoners and increased humanitarian aid to the besieged Strip. The proposal also stipulates that US President Donald Trump would be a guarantor of an end to the war on Gaza in subsequent phases.
On July 24, Israel withdrew from indirect negotiations with Hamas after Tel Aviv's intransigence regarding the withdrawal from Gaza, ending the war, Palestinian prisoners, and the mechanism for distributing humanitarian aid.
On Tuesday, the official Israeli Broadcasting Corporation revealed a split within the Israeli negotiating team regarding the possibility of progress in negotiations for a prisoner exchange agreement and a ceasefire in Gaza. The corporation also spoke of expectations that mediators would increase pressure on Israel and Hamas to return to the negotiating table in the coming days.
The negotiations are being mediated by Egypt and Qatar, with support from the United States, an ally of Israel.
Hamas has repeatedly declared its willingness to release Israeli prisoners "in one batch" in exchange for an end to the war of extermination, the withdrawal of the Israeli army from Gaza, and the release of Palestinian prisoners. The opposition and the prisoners' families assert that Netanyahu is seeking partial deals that would allow the continuation of the war while ensuring his continued hold on power. He fears the collapse of his government if the most extremist faction, which refuses to end the war, withdraws.
Tel Aviv estimates there are 50 Israeli prisoners in Gaza, 20 of whom are still alive. More than 10,800 Palestinians are languishing in its prisons, suffering torture, starvation, and medical neglect, many of whom have died, according to Palestinian and Israeli human rights and media reports.
With American support, Israel has been committing genocide in Gaza since October 7, 2023, including killing, starvation, destruction, and forced displacement, ignoring all international calls and orders from the International Court of Justice to halt it.
The Israeli genocide left 61,599 Palestinian martyrs and 154,088 wounded, most of them children and women. More than 9,000 people were missing, hundreds of thousands were displaced, and a famine killed 227 people, including 103 children.
