Hamas chief discusses Gaza ceasefire talks with Egypt, Qatar officials

Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh discussed the ongoing Gaza ceasefire talks in separate phone calls with Egypt’s intelligence chief Abbas Kamel and Qatar’s Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, Reuters reports.

A statement by the Palestinian group today said a delegation is set to visit Egypt soon for further ceasefire talks.

The statement added that Haniyeh had affirmed the group’s “positive spirit in studying the ceasefire proposal” in the phone call with Egypt’s Kamel.

Hamas said on Saturday that it had received Israel’s latest position and would study it before submitting a reply.

The Egyptian state-affiliated Al-Qahera News quoted an unidentified high-level Egyptian source as saying that the Hamas delegation would arrive in Cairo in the next two days.

Speaking to Reuters, a Palestinian official close to the mediation also said the Hamas delegation’s visit could take place in the next two days.

Hamas’s statement added that the negotiations to be held in Cairo aim to “mature a deal that achieves the demands of our people and ends the aggression.”

Another statement by the group today, Haniyeh and Qatar’s prime minister agreed to continue the ongoing discussions to “mature a deal” through Qatari and Egyptian mediation.

Egypt recently renewed its bid to push stalled negotiations between Israel and Hamas to agree a ceasefire in Gaza.

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