Representatives from the United States, Qatar, and Hamas have arrived in Cairo to resume discussions on a ceasefire in the ongoing conflict between Israel and the militant group in the Gaza Strip, according to official Egyptian media reports on Sunday.
Cairo’s “Al-Qahera News” channel reported the arrival of the delegations from Hamas, Qatar, and the United States in Cairo for a new round of ceasefire negotiations concerning the Gaza Strip.
On Saturday, the United States announced that Israel had tentatively accepted the terms of a ceasefire proposal in its war against Hamas in Gaza. However, Israel has yet to officially confirm its acceptance of the ceasefire plan.
A senior Hamas official informed the French Press Agency earlier today that an agreement on a ceasefire in Gaza could be reached within 24 to 48 hours if Israel responds to their demands.
The source, who wished to remain anonymous, stated, “Negotiations in Cairo commence today (Sunday)… and if Israel responds, the path to an agreement within the next 24 or 48 hours becomes clear.”
Mediators are striving to reach a ceasefire agreement before the start of Ramadan, which begins on March 10 or 11, in an effort to halt the nearly five-month-long war that has devastated Gaza and left the territory on the brink of famine.
Last month, Cairo hosted high-level talks between American, Qatari, and Israeli delegations in an attempt to end the war between Israel and Hamas, but the discussions did not yield significant results.
To date, at least 30,410 Palestinians, mostly civilians including women and children, have been killed in Gaza since the outbreak of the war on October 7, according to the latest figures from the health ministry in the enclave.
Concerns are mounting in the city of Rafah in southern Gaza, where at least 1.4 million people, most of whom have fled the fighting, are crammed into the area.
There are fears of a large-scale ground operation being prepared by the Israeli military.
