Mediators are anticipated to convene in Cairo as early as Sunday, aiming to find a mutually acceptable formula for a lasting ceasefire in Gaza, according to sources familiar with the negotiations.
Pressure is mounting for a pause in the fighting ahead of Ramadan. Israeli and Hamas delegations are slated to arrive in Cairo on Sunday, as confirmed by two Egyptian security sources.
However, another source familiar with the discussions indicated that Israel would not dispatch a delegation until it receives a comprehensive list of hostages confirmed to be alive.
Hopes for the first pause in fighting since November grew this week following talks mediated by Qatar and Egypt in Doha, alongside indications from U.S. President Joe Biden that an agreement was imminent.
Hamas remains steadfast in its stance that a temporary truce must initiate a process toward ending the war entirely, as noted by Egyptian sources and a Hamas official.
However, assurances have been extended to Hamas, indicating that the terms of a permanent ceasefire would be negotiated in subsequent phases of the deal.
The initial pause, expected to span approximately six weeks, has been agreed upon, according to the sources.
Hamas refrained from providing an immediate response to inquiries regarding the assurances and their adequacy to proceed with the proposed six-week pause.
“When it comes to ending the war and pulling forces out of Gaza, gaps remain unbridged,” a Palestinian official familiar with mediation efforts said.
The official did not immediately confirm the Cairo talks.
A senior U.S. administration official stated on Saturday that the framework for a six-week pause, with Israel’s agreement, was in place. Now, it hinges on Hamas agreeing to release hostages it has held in Gaza since its attacks on southern Israel on Oct. 7.
“The path to a ceasefire right now literally at this hour is straightforward. And there’s a deal on the table. There’s a framework deal. The Israelis have more or less accepted it,” the official told reporters. “The onus right now is on Hamas.”
Israel has stated that it will refrain from participating in further discussions until Hamas provides clarification on the number of hostages intended for release and the status of those still alive, according to a source familiar with the negotiations.
Hamas reported this week that approximately 70 captives have lost their lives due to Israeli military operations.
Additionally, Israel is pressing Hamas to agree to a specific ratio of Palestinian prisoners to be released in exchange for each hostage.
A source, who chose not to disclose further identification, stated,
”No delegation will proceed to Cairo until Hamas provides satisfactory responses.”
A draft proposal has shown progress on various issues, suggesting an overall ratio of 10 Palestinian prisoners held in Israel for every hostage.
Completion of a truce deal also required an agreement on the pullback of Israeli forces from northern Gaza and a return of residents displaced towards the south of the coastal enclave, the Egyptian sources said, although the source briefed on the talks said that for Israel the return of displaced Palestinians to northern Gaza was not the main holdup.
The draft proposal also included a commitment to boost humanitarian aid to the enclave, suffering crippling shortages of food and medicine and where more than a million people have been displaced from their homes. It was unclear if an incident on Thursday in which scores of Palestinians were killed as people waited for aid near Gaza City in the north could affect the timing of any deal.
Speaking to reporters about a ceasefire as he left the White House on Friday, Biden said:
“We’re not there yet.”
Nevertheless, the security sources said Egyptian and U.S. negotiators were still confident a partial or complete agreement would be reached by the middle of next week. Israel, Hamas, Egypt, Qatar, and the U.S.