In an ongoing effort to mediate the stalled negotiations aimed at releasing hostages and implementing a ceasefire in Gaza, an Egyptian delegation visited Israel, officials from both countries disclosed to CNN on Friday.
The delegation also plans to discuss security coordination regarding a potential Israeli operation in Rafah, a city near Egypt’s border where approximately one million displaced Palestinians have sought refuge in recent months.
Despite months of negotiations mediated by Qatar and Egypt, Hamas and Israel have yet to resolve disagreements over key demands. A senior U.S. administration official noted on Thursday that there are “some indications of a path to mediate an agreement.”
Recent rounds of negotiations in Qatar and Egypt have produced a proposed framework that includes a six-week ceasefire and the release of some hostages held by Hamas in exchange for hundreds of Palestinians in Israeli jails.
One of Hamas’s primary demands is the unrestricted return of displaced Palestinians from southern to northern Gaza, which the American official confirmed is included in the draft agreement, along with provisions to ensure the safety of returnees.
In an interview with Al Jazeera, Hamas senior leader Khalil al-Haya reiterated other main demands, which Israel has previously rejected. He emphasized that any agreement must include a permanent ceasefire and a complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.
“Despite the catastrophe in Gaza… it is not possible for us to release [the hostages] in exchange for a meager swap that could lead to the resumption of [Israeli] attacks or war on our people,” he said.
The continued Israeli operation in Gaza aims to eliminate Hamas, a stance reaffirmed by Israel amidst ongoing negotiations. However, the death toll in Gaza continues to rise, and the families of hostages in Israel are increasingly eager for their return.
Qatar, a key mediator, expressed doubts this week about the seriousness of both Israel and Hamas in reaching an agreement.
Another contentious issue in the negotiations is the number of Israeli hostages to be released in the first phase of the agreement.
After an initial agreement on 40 hostages, including all women, the elderly, and the ill, Hamas indicated it does not have enough living hostages who meet these criteria, according to another Israeli official and a source familiar with the negotiations.
In a rare joint statement issued on Thursday, leaders from 18 countries, including the United States, urged Hamas to accept the terms of the agreement and release the hostages, which would lead to an immediate and prolonged ceasefire in Gaza and facilitate the delivery of necessary humanitarian aid across the region, potentially ending hostilities reliably.
A senior U.S. administration official remarked, “We often hear things from Hamas leaders outside Gaza that do not reflect the leadership of Hamas inside, who appear determined to remain underground and hold the hostages.”
Basem Naeem, a senior Hamas leader, criticized the statement and urged the signatory countries to pressure Israel to accept the agreement. “Their sons and daughters are no more precious than our sons and daughters,” Naeem stated.
Meanwhile, in Tel Aviv, Israeli demonstrators joined families of the hostages in a protest on Thursday, a day after Hamas released a video of the Israeli-American hostage Hersh Goldberg Bolin, kidnapped during Hamas attacks on Israel on October 7.
Goldberg Bolin’s parents, in a video statement, expressed hope that seeing and hearing their son would serve as a stark reminder to all negotiators that they are negotiating over the lives of real people.
In Gaza, aid is trickling in slowly, but relief agencies say it is not nearly enough to provide sufficient relief for needy Palestinians, and frustration continues over the slow response to the disaster caused by the Israeli attack and blockade on the enclave.
Matthew Hollingworth of the World Food Programme stated, “People need food aid every day, and we are able to receive trucks every day, but not enough.”
