A Hamas delegation is holding talks in Cairo on ways to end Israel’s war on Gaza, bring in urgent aid and address Palestinian internal reconciliation, the group said on Tuesday.
In a statement on Telegram, Hamas praised Egypt’s “steadfast and strong” relations with the movement under President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, saying joint work “has not stopped on various issues.” It said the discussions also include bilateral ties and “ways to develop them.”
The remarks come after media reports of tensions following recent comments by senior Hamas leader in Gaza Khalil Al-Hayya, who had publicly urged Egyptians to prevent Palestinians from dying at the border.
The delegation’s visit follows weeks of deadlock in ceasefire negotiations.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said Cairo is working with Qatar and the United States to revive an earlier proposal for a 60-day truce, to be accompanied by the release of 28 Israeli hostages —10 alive and 18 dead— and Palestinian prisoners, as well as unimpeded humanitarian access to the besieged enclave.
The plan included interim administration of Gaza by 15 Palestinian technocrats under Palestinian Authority oversight for six months.
A “comprehensive deal to end the Gaza war” was possible if both sides showed goodwill and political will, Abdelatty told reporters on Monday.
Talks have stalled since late July, when US and Israeli negotiators withdrew for consultations.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu signaled he would not accept a phased deal. Asked by Israel’s i24 News if the window had closed on a partial ceasefire agreement, he replied, “I think it’s behind us. We tried, we made all kinds of attempts, we went through a lot, but it turned out that they were just misleading us.”
“I want all of them,” he said of the captives. “The release of all the hostages, both alive and dead — that’s the stage we’re at.”
Netanyahu said the war would end only when all hostages are returned and Hamas has surrendered, adding that Israel’s security control over Gaza would continue indefinitely.
Hamas has long called for a comprehensive deal but says it will only release the remaining hostages in return for the release of Palestinians imprisoned by Israel, a lasting ceasefire and an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. The group has refused to lay down its arms, as Israel has demanded.
Israel has also unveiled a plan for “full military control” over Gaza City while providing humanitarian assistance to Palestinians “outside combat zones.”
The United Nations on Tuesday warned that starvation and malnutrition in Gaza are at the highest levels since the war began.
UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric cited a World Food Program report and said Gaza’s Health Ministry told UN staff that five people died over the past 24 hours from malnutrition and starvation, bringing the total number of malnutrition-related deaths to 227 people, including 103 children, since October 2023.
“Against this backdrop, humanitarian supplies entering Gaza remain far below the minimum required to meet people’s immense needs,” Dujarric said.
Meanwhile, New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon accused Netanyahu of having “lost the plot” as Wellington weighs recognition of a Palestinian state.
The lack of humanitarian aid, the forced displacement of people and the annexation of Gaza “is utterly, utterly unacceptable”, he said, adding that Netanyahu had “gone too far.”
Australia said on Monday they would join Canada, Britain, and France in supporting Palestinian statehood recognition during UN meetings in September. New Zealand is expected to follow.
