Hamas delegation arrives in Cairo for talks on comprehensive Gaza ceasefire and hostage deal
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Diverging Reports Breakdown
Senior Hamas leaders arrive in Cairo for ceasefire talks as Trump says ‘We’ve got to be good to Gaza’
The death toll in the Gaza conflict has risen to 52, according to the U.S. State Department. The death toll is expected to rise as more bodies are found. The U.N. has called for an end to the violence in Gaza by the end of the week. The United Nations says it is working with Israel to find a solution to the crisis in Gaza. The Israeli government has said it is willing to work with the United Nations on a solution. It has not said if it will include the release of prisoners from the Gaza Strip. The UN says it will work with Israel on a plan to release the prisoners in exchange for a cease-fire, but no agreement has yet been reached on the number of prisoners to be released and how many will be released. The situation in Gaza has been described as ‘chaotic’ and ‘unprecedented’ by the UN’s secretary-general, Ban Ki-moon, who has been in talks with the Israeli government.
A senior Hamas delegation departed Cairo late Saturday following talks with Egyptian officials aimed at brokering a ceasefire agreement and the entry of desperately needed humanitarian aid into Gaza, according to a statement by Hamas.
The delegation, led by Chairman of the Hamas Leadership Council Muhammad Darwish, included other key leaders, among them Khaled Meshaal, Khalil al-Hayya, Zaher Jabarin, and Eng. Nizar Awadallah.
“The delegation reviewed the movement’s vision for reaching a comprehensive deal that achieves a ceasefire, prisoner exchange, relief, and reconstruction. It was agreed to exert further efforts and continue communication to ensure the success of these efforts,” Hamas said in the written statement on Saturday.
According to the statement, the talks also addressed the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip and “the need for urgent action to deliver aid and supplies to the Strip’s citizens.”
Israel renewed its bombing campaign and launched a complete siege on Gaza in March, saying the attacks would put pressure on Hamas to reach a ceasefire deal and release the remaining 59 Israeli hostages. More than 2,151 Palestinians have since been killed, according to the Ministry of Health in the enclave.
The health ministry meanwhile raised its overall toll from the conflict in Gaza to 52,243, saying it had confirmed the deaths of nearly 700 people reported missing. The death toll includes those killed in the past six weeks of renewed conflict after the collapse of a ceasefire on March 18, as well as more than 16,000 children and 12,000 women who have been killed in the war. The ministry does not differentiate between civilians and militants.
In January, the Israel Defense Forces said it had killed 20,000 Hamas operatives since October 7.
A senior UN official in Gaza City, northern Gaza, warned of the “deliberate dismantling of Palestinian life,” a day after the agency ran out of food in the strip. Human rights officials have repeatedly accused Israel of using starvation as a weapon of war – charges Israeli officials denied.
“People are not surviving in Gaza – those who aren’t shot or bombed are slowly dying. They are being suffocated,” said Jonathan Whittall, the head of office for the Occupied Palestinian Territory of the UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
“What we see around us is endless suffering under a total and complete blockade,” he added. “People in Gaza tell me that they feel like it’s the deliberate dismantling of Palestinian life – in plain sight.”
‘Some progress’
The head of Mossad, David Barnea, was in Doha, Qatar, earlier this week, for ceasefire talks – but there was no indication of a significant breakthrough.
But with the renewed effort, mediators in Qatar expressed their belief in “some progress” in both parties’ readiness to achieve a ceasefire deal last week after Barnea’s visit.
“Hamas is ready to release all the hostages in exchange for the release of prisoners, according to terms that Israel may reject,” Qatari Prime Minister Mohammad bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani told reporters on Sunday. “Israel seeks the release of all hostages without offering any horizon for ending the war on Gaza.”
There are currently 59 Israeli hostages still held in Gaza, of which up to 24 are believed alive. One of the bodies still held in Gaza is a deceased soldier from 2014.
An Egyptian official had told CNN that the Israel has been invited to meet with negotiators in Cairo on Monday. It’s also unclear if Israel has accepted the invitation.
CNN reached out to Hamas for comment on the details of Hamas’ proposal for a ceasefire.
A Palestinian man at Al-Shifa Hospital, Gaza City mourns over a loved one killed by Israeli strikes on the Al-Khour family home, in the Al-Sabra neighborhood, northern Gaza, on April 26. Youssef Alzanoun/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty
An Israeli source familiar with the matter told CNN that Israel has not received a new offer from the mediators for now.
“Israel only reacts to offers passed on by the mediators,” the source said.
On Friday, US President Donald Trump said he told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, “We’ve got to be good to Gaza.” Taking questions on the way to Italy, Trump said, “there’s a very big need for medicine, food and medicine. We’re taking care of it.”
The president, whose administration has unapologetically backed Israel, offered no details about what steps the US was taking to allow humanitarian aid into Gaza.
Earlier this month, Israel put forward a ceasefire proposal that called for a disarmament of Gaza without guaranteeing an end to the war, which violates two of Hamas’ red lines.
Hamas delegation arrives in Cairo for talks on comprehensive Gaza ceasefire and hostage deal
A Hamas delegation arrived in Cairo on Tuesday for talks on a possible agreement with Israel. Egypt presented the terror group with a new proposal for a comprehensive deal. The plan calls for the release of all hostages in one phase, an end to the war, explicit provisions for Gaza’s demilitarization, and the symbolic exile of some Hamas members. An Arab official familiar with the talks said Cairo intends to invite an Israeli negotiating team to the Egyptian capital in the coming days, once there is progress with Hamas. The Arab official said responsibility for the failure of the recent Doha talks was equally shared by Israel and Hamas. “We were optimistic it would succeed, and we were s urprised when it collapsed,” the official said of the talks in Doha, which ended in a stalemate on the number of life-sentence prisoners to be released, as well as other issues. ‘Israel says it won’t allow the PA to return to Gaza, but it continues to cooperate with PA security forces in the West Bank, and that works well. It would work in Gaza, too,’ he argued.
The plan calls for the release of all hostages in one phase, an end to the war, explicit provisions for Gaza’s demilitarization, and the symbolic exile of some Hamas members. “Egypt is working with Qatar and the United States to revive the 60-day plan,” Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdel Aaty said.
4 View gallery Khalil al-Hayya, Egyptian President el-Sisi, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ( Photo: Bashar Taleb/ AFP Martin Sylvest / Ritzau Scanpix/ AFP, Khaled Desouki/ AFP, Yuval Chen, Yair Sagi, IDF Reuters/Evelyn Hockstein, Khalil Hamra/AP/Hassan Ammar )
An Arab official familiar with the talks said Cairo intends to invite an Israeli negotiating team to the Egyptian capital in the coming days, once there is progress with Hamas. He predicted an exchange of draft agreements soon, adding that “what brought Hamas to Cairo was Israel’s threat to capture Gaza City.”
At a Cairo press conference, Abdel Aaty stressed: “We are working in full cooperation with the Qataris and Americans, and the main goal is to return to the original proposal — a 60-day cease-fire that would include the release of hostages and Palestinian prisoners, alongside the resumption of humanitarian aid to Gaza without conditions or restrictions.”
The Arab official said responsibility for the failure of the recent Doha talks was equally shared by Israel and Hamas. “You can’t blame just one side,” he said. “We were optimistic it would succeed, and we were s urprised when it collapsed . Israel insisted Hamas commit to disarming during the partial deal stage, while Hamas was only willing to discuss disarmament during the 60-day negotiations.”
According to the official, Egypt has now reached an understanding with Hamas for eventual disarmament and symbolic exile. “But Hamas wasn’t willing to include that in the first agreement, because they don’t trust Israel. They fear Israel will trick them and resume fighting, so they won’t give up their weapons or their last hostages at the outset,” he said.
4 View gallery IDF forces in Gaza ( Photo: IDF )
He added that there is now “clear agreement” that the focus should be on a full deal, not another partial one. “Contrary to what some claim, a comprehensive deal is easier — in a partial deal, we just postpone the obstacles. Hamas genuinely wants to end the war but doesn’t believe Israel will stop trying to eliminate it. They are ready to disarm, but they need guarantees.”
The official described “cautious optimism” in Cairo. “In Doha, they covered perhaps 70% of the issues,” he said. “Disputes remained, such as a few hundred meters’ difference on the size of the perimeter in Gaza. They had already discussed formulas and were close to solutions. There was also a dispute over the number of life-sentence prisoners to be released — 120 as Israel agreed, versus 200 demanded by Hamas — but that was solvable. Then both sides blew it up. A shame.”
Palestinian Authority role in ‘the day after’
The Arab official said Hamas had agreed to Egypt’s proposal for “the day after,” which includes Palestinian Authority involvement in governing Gaza. “Israel says it won’t allow the PA to return to Gaza, but it continues to cooperate with PA security forces in the West Bank, and that works well. It would work in Gaza, too,” he argued.
He said the international consensus is that no deal can be reached without a PA presence in Gaza. “There will be Arab actors in the interim administration, but the PA will also be represented. Hamas understands it cannot stay in Gaza. Some of its members want to leave and build new lives elsewhere, hence their interest in exile.”
4 View gallery Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas ( Photo: Reuters/Cagla Gurdogan )
The official claimed Hamas no longer controls all of Gaza. “There’s no organized military structure, no command hierarchy. We saw in Doha that Hamas agreed to things local commanders wouldn’t accept, and responses from the ground took a long time. This is a rare opportunity to rebuild Gaza. We must not waste it.”
He said Israel has quietly preferred Qatar to lead the negotiations, despite knowing Egypt is the main mediator drafting agreements and understanding the realities on the ground. “Yes, Qatar influences Hamas, but there are also unclear interests. We don’t understand why Israel keeps trusting them.”
The official also suggested Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu may not truly want to end the war, accusing him of dragging out the process for domestic political reasons. “We have an excellent security dialogue with Israel. Egypt has fully sealed its border with Gaza — no weapons can be smuggled in. Israel knows this. We have a clear interest in stability on our border.”
He warned against Israel’s plan to capture Gaza City : “It won’t be simple and will likely cause heavy casualties on both sides. Hamas is deeply entrenched in tunnels. We don’t know if they are trying to lure you in, or if they would prefer a deal to prevent the city’s capture. Maybe they want to expose that you aren’t really planning to take all of Gaza.”
4 View gallery The Gaza Strip ( Photo: Bashar Taleb/ AFP )
Since the war began, Egypt and Qatar have been vying for the lead in mediating between Israel and Hamas, as part of their efforts to boost their standing in the international community and the Arab world. This has resulted in conflicting media reports and sometimes contradictory statements from officials in both countries.
Divisions in Israel, new hints from Netanyahu
According to Sky News Arabia, senior Hamas official Khalil al-Hayya arrived in Cairo to meet with Egyptian officials. The network reported that the mediators plan to present a new initiative aimed at “removing Netanyahu’s excuses” for recapturing Gaza City.
Later, the network said the proposal includes a comprehensive deal to release all Israeli hostages — living and dead — in exchange for Palestinian prisoners. Under the plan, Hamas would agree to a new IDF withdrawal map in Gaza under Arab-American supervision until a permanent agreement on disarmament and governance is reached.
In line with Israel’s demand, which Hamas has so far rejected, the proposal calls for Hamas to freeze its military activities and disarm, with the mediators — and Turkey — serving as guarantors, while negotiations proceed toward a permanent cease-fire.
A senior Israeli security official was skeptical: “The chances Hamas will accept the Egyptian initiative are slim. In the end, Hamas is a terror group unlikely to disarm — but perhaps Turkish influence and guarantees could work.”
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Within Israel’s negotiating team, there is disagreement over the plan’s chances. Some believe the gaps can be bridged, and the main question is whether Hamas will agree to a comprehensive deal. In any case, they say the significance of the proposal is that the sides are now discussing an overall end to the war.
At a press conference two days ago, Netanyahu signaled there may be no more partial hostage deals, declaring that the decision would come through “sophisticated methods that will surprise Hamas.” He revealed he had ordered the IDF to accelerate plans to capture Gaza City and act “faster and earlier” to end the war.
On the negotiations, some in the Israeli team said the differences with Hamas were small and could be resolved, but Netanyahu argued Hamas had presented “surrender terms” — releasing Nukhba commandos, international guarantees that fighting would not resume, and a withdrawal from the Philadelphi Corridor — demands he said no government could accept. While Netanyahu claimed there was no chance for a deal, some mediators and negotiators maintain an agreement was possible, and that Israel walked away too soon.
Hamas delegation arrives in Cairo for Gaza ceasefire talks
A Hamas delegation arrived in Egypt’s Cairo on Saturday to discuss efforts toward reaching a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. The delegation is also expected to discuss with the Egyptian side the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza due to the ongoing Israeli blockade. Senior Hamas official Mahmoud Mardawi said in a press statement that the negotiations mediated by Egypt, Qatar, and the United States in Cairo and Doha are continuing.
In a press statement, Hamas said the delegation has started meetings with Egyptian officials to present the movement’s vision for a comprehensive deal, which includes a Gaza ceasefire, a prisoner exchange with Israel, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, and the launch of reconstruction efforts.
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The delegation is also expected to discuss with the Egyptian side the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza due to the ongoing Israeli blockade and the urgent need to facilitate the entry of food and medical supplies, read the statement.
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Hamas further indicated that the discussions would address the formation of a community support committee to manage Gaza’s civil affairs and other internal matters.
Meanwhile, senior Hamas official Mahmoud Mardawi said in a press statement that the negotiations mediated by Egypt, Qatar, and the United States in Cairo and Doha are continuing.
Mardawi added that Hamas would demonstrate flexibility to reach an agreement that ends the conflict and ensures a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, with international guarantees to prevent the resumption of hostilities.
“We insist on obtaining international guarantees for ending the war,” Mardawi said, stressing that Hamas would not accept partial or temporary arrangements.
Israel halted the entry of goods and supplies into Gaza on March 2, following the expiration of the first six-week phase of a ceasefire agreement with Hamas that started on January 19, Xinhua news agency reported. Israel claimed the move was due to Hamas’ rejection of its offer to extend the first phase. Israeli forces then resumed strikes across Gaza on March 18, effectively ending the phased truce.
Indirect negotiations between Hamas and Israel, brokered by Qatar, Egypt, and the United States, have been ongoing for weeks, aiming to end the prolonged conflict in Gaza, which erupted in October 2023.
Mother of Israeli Hostage: IDF Chief Told Me Gaza War Increases Risk to Hostages
“Iran does want to speak, and I think they’d like to speak to me,” Trump said. “We’re not looking to hurt them. We’re looking to let them be a country again,” he said.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday that Iran wants to speak to the U.S., and that he would meet with representatives of the country “if necessary.”
“Iran does want to speak, and I think they’d like to speak to me, and it’s time that they do,” Trump told reporters at Joint Base Andrews while on his way to a rally in Iowa. “We’re not looking to hurt them. We’re looking to let them be a country again.”
Earlier, Trump was asked if he still wants the U.S. to take over Gaza. “I want the Gaza to be safe, more importantly. They’ve gone through hell,” he replied.
Hamas delegation expected in Cairo to discuss Gaza truce efforts
A senior Hamas delegation was due in Cairo for talks with Egyptian officials on efforts by mediators to secure an elusive ceasefire in Gaza. The delegation plans to meet Egyptian officials to discuss ceasefire talks and hostage releases. Egypt has been involved in mediation between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas that has failed to secure a breakthrough since a short-lived truce earlier this year. Of the 251 hostages taken during Hamas’s October 2023 attack on Israel that triggered the war, 49 are still held in Gaza, including 27 the Israeli military says are dead.
GAZA CITY : A senior Hamas delegation was due in Cairo for talks with Egyptian officials on efforts by mediators to secure an elusive ceasefire in Gaza, two Palestinian sources told AFP on Tuesday.
Together with Qatar and the US, Egypt has been involved in mediation between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas that has failed to secure a breakthrough since a short-lived truce earlier this year.
Upon Egypt’s invitation, the Hamas delegation led by the group’s chief negotiator Khalil al-Hayya “is expected to arrive in Cairo today (Tuesday) or tomorrow morning”, the source told AFP, requesting anonymity to discuss the sensitive negotiations.
The source said the delegation was scheduled to meet Egyptian officials on Wednesday to “discuss the latest developments” in “ceasefire negotiations and prisoner exchange” that would include the release of hostages held in Gaza.
Another Palestinian source familiar with the negotiations confirmed the Cairo meeting was planned and told AFP that “mediators are working to formulate a new comprehensive ceasefire agreement proposal.”
Such a proposal could include “a 60-day truce followed by negotiations for a long-term ceasefire and a deal for the exchange of all Israeli captives – both living and deceased – in one batch”, said the source.
Of the 251 hostages taken during Hamas’s October 2023 attack on Israel that triggered the war, 49 are still held in Gaza, including 27 the Israeli military says are dead.
Both Israel and Hamas have accused the other side of failing to compromise, and the source said that “so far, there is nothing new to be optimistic about, especially as the occupation (Israel) has repeatedly worked to obstruct any agreement.”
A Hamas official, also requesting anonymity, told AFP that his group “has not received any new proposal” from Israel via mediators.
But Hamas remains “ready to reach an agreement if the occupation decides to do so”, the official added.
He said Hamas wanted to see “a permanent end to the war” along with the lifting of Israel’s blockade and restrictions on aid to ensure its “natural flow” into the Gaza Strip.
The war has created dire humanitarian conditions for Gaza’s population of more than two million people.
Israel’s security cabinet last week approved plans for a major operation to seize Gaza City, triggering a wave of domestic and international criticism.