Hamas Delegation Arrives in Egypt for Talks on Second Phase of Gaza Ceasefire
EGYPT – A senior Hamas delegation arrived in Cairo, Egypt on Tuesday to advance talks on the second phase of Gaza ceasefire with Egyptian officials.
In a statement, Hamas said the delegation is led by Khalil al-Hayya, the movement’s leader in Gaza and head of its negotiating team.
The talks are set to focus on completing the implementation of the ceasefire, including remaining steps in the first phase and the reopening of the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt in both directions, the statement said.
Hamas added that discussions will also address accelerating the transition to the second phase of the agreement, including the formation of an administrative committee and the completion of Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza.
According to the statement, the delegation is also scheduled to meet leaders of Palestinian factions to review political and field developments in Gaza and the occupied West Bank.
In November last year, the UN Security Council adopted a US-backed resolution aimed at ending the Israeli war on Gaza, allowing for the deployment of a temporary international force through the end of 2027.
The resolution envisages Gaza being administered by a transitional Palestinian technocratic government under the oversight of an executive “peace council,” in line with a proposal put forward by US President Donald Trump
Trump announced a 20-point plan in September outlining a ceasefire framework that includes the release of Israeli captives, Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza, the formation of a technocratic administration and the deployment of an international stabilization force, alongside a call for Hamas to disarm.
The Israeli army has killed more than 71,000 people, most of them women and children, and injured over 171,000 in a brutal offensive since October 2023 that left Gaza in ruins.
Despite a ceasefire that began Oct. 10, Israel has continued to attack, killing 447 Palestinians and wounding 1,246, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health.
