Negotiations continue in Egypt to reach truce between Israel and Hamas

Negotiations continue on Wednesday in Egypt to reach a truce between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip. 

Meanwhile, a delegation from the Palestinian movement is heading to Cairo, while around one and a half million Palestinians still face the threat of an attack on Rafah, which serves as their last refuge. 

On the field, the Health Ministry affiliated with Hamas reported that 104 people, mostly women and children, were killed overnight in Israeli attacks. 

On Tuesday, Egypt hosted discussions involving the director of the US intelligence agency, William Burns, Mossad chief David Barnea, and Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, focusing on a ceasefire that includes the release of new hostages. 

Israeli media reported on Wednesday that the Israeli delegation left Cairo afterward. 

The discussions took place "in a positive atmosphere," according to a "high-ranking Egyptian official" quoted by Al Qahera News. The same official stated at the end of the meeting that "negotiations will continue over the next three days," according to the channel. 

Khalil al-Hayya, head of the political bureau of the Hamas movement, leads a delegation to Cairo for a possible meeting on Wednesday with the heads of Egyptian and Qatari intelligence, according to a source in the movement as reported by Agence France-Presse. 

This comes as Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi receives Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Cairo on Wednesday, one of the most prominent critics of the Israeli military campaign. 

The visit aims to consolidate reconciliation after a decade-long rift. Erdogan explained that this trip to Egypt, as well as to the UAE previously, stems from Ankara's interest in doing "everything in its power to stop the bloodshed." 

In this context, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated on Tuesday evening in Washington, "We are working intensively with Egypt and Qatar on a proposal to release hostages." 

Israel estimates that around 130 hostages are still held in Gaza, including 29 believed to have died, among approximately 250 people kidnapped on October 7th. 

The truce that lasted a week in November led to the release of 105 hostages in exchange for 240 Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails. 

AFP