According to Egypt’s Al Qahera News TV, truce negotiations between Israel and Hamas are set to resume in Cairo on Sunday. An Israeli official confirmed that a delegation from Israel will be attending the talks. However, a Hamas official stated that the group will wait for updates from the Cairo mediators before making any decisions.
The negotiations, which are being mediated by Qatar and Egypt, aim to secure a six-week suspension of Israel’s offensive in exchange for the release of 40 of the remaining 130 hostages held by Hamas in Gaza.
Hamas is seeking an end to the fighting and the withdrawal of Israeli forces as part of any agreement. However, Israel has made it clear that they will not agree to these terms and will continue their efforts to dismantle Hamas’ governance and military capabilities.
Additionally, Hamas is pushing for the return of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians who fled Gaza City and surrounding areas during the initial stages of the war. Israel has expressed willingness to discuss allowing back only a portion of the displaced individuals.
Since October 7, more than 32,000 Palestinians have lost their lives in Israel’s military offensive in the Gaza Strip, as reported by health authorities in the territory. The war began after Hamas militants breached the border and carried out attacks in southern Israel, resulting in the deaths of 1,200 people and the abduction of 253 hostages, according to Israeli records.
Despite ongoing negotiations, Israel continued its airstrikes and ground bombardment in the Gaza Strip, resulting in the deaths of 82 Palestinians in the past 24 hours, according to the territory’s health ministry. The fighting has intensified around Gaza City’s main Al Shifa hospital. The ministry also reported that Israeli forces controlling the hospital have blockaded 107 patients in the human resources department, depriving them of water, electricity, and medication for several days, despite calls for their evacuation.
