Egypt has received promising signals from Hamas regarding a potential Gaza truce and a hostage-prisoner swap with Israel, according to state-linked Al-Qahera News on Thursday.
The news outlet, citing a high-level source, reported that Cairo, along with mediators Doha and Washington, has been involved in extensive negotiations to secure a ceasefire to end Israel’s conflict in the Gaza Strip.
Hamas leaders are reportedly considering the truce proposal seriously and are expected to respond soon.
Positive signs from Hamas indicate a possible desire for a ceasefire, following a recent meeting in Doha with Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani and Egypt’s intelligence chief Abbas Kamel.
Despite a brief ceasefire in November resulting in the release of hostages and prisoners, efforts to halt the conflict have largely failed.
Last week, US President Joe Biden proposed a “roadmap to an enduring ceasefire,” which includes Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza’s population centers and the release of hostages by Hamas.
Biden, along with 16 other world leaders, has urged Hamas to accept the proposal.
The Gaza war, triggered by Hamas’s October 7 attack that killed 1,194 people and resulted in 251 hostages, has since led to the deaths of at least 36,654 people in Gaza, primarily civilians, according to the territory’s health ministry.
