A senior Hamas delegation arrived in Cairo on Saturday for critical talks with Egyptian officials aimed at brokering a ceasefire agreement, CNN reported.
According to an Egyptian official, Israel has been invited to join negotiators on Monday, though it remains unclear whether Israel has accepted the invitation.
The Hamas delegation, led by Leadership Council chairman Muhammad Darwish, includes prominent figures such as Zaher Jabarin, Khaled Meshaal, Khalil al-Hayya, and Eng Nizar Awadallah.
In a written statement, Hamas confirmed that discussions had begun with Egyptian officials to present their vision for a ceasefire, an end to the war, and a potential prisoner exchange deal.
The talks will also address what Hamas described as Israel’s “starvation tactics” against Palestinians in Gaza, as well as the urgent need for the delivery of humanitarian aid, including food and medical supplies.
Israel imposed a full humanitarian blockade on Gaza on March 2, cutting off the entry of food, medicine, and other essentials to the besieged territory.
An Israeli source told CNN that Israel has not received a new proposal from mediators and typically responds only to formal offers passed through them. Earlier this week, Mossad chief David Barnea was in Doha, Qatar, for ceasefire negotiations, but no breakthrough has been reported so far.
On Friday, US President Donald Trump commented on the humanitarian crisis, telling Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, “We’ve got to be good to Gaza,” as per CNN. Speaking to reporters en route to Italy, Trump acknowledged the urgent need for food and medicine in Gaza but did not specify any US action to facilitate aid deliveries.
Israel maintains that the humanitarian blockade and intensified bombardments are part of a broader pressure campaign to dismantle Hamas and secure the release of 59 Israeli hostages.
Earlier this month, Israel offered a ceasefire proposal calling for Gaza’s disarmament without committing to an end to the war.
The conflict has taken a devastating toll. According to the Palestinian Health Ministry, more than 2,111 Palestinians have been killed since Israel resumed military operations in Gaza on March 18.
Meanwhile, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas launched a fierce attack against Hamas, calling them “sons of dogs” in a televised speech from Ramallah on April 23. He demanded the release of hostages and accused Hamas of providing Israel with justifications for its military campaign in Gaza.
Abbas also called for an end to the “Israeli genocide” in Gaza, renewed calls for Palestinian political unity under the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), and demanded the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the territory.
Israel has firmly denied accusations of genocide, asserting that its actions in Gaza are acts of self-defense aimed at dismantling Hamas’s military infrastructure.
