Washington announces Israel's preliminary approval of truce in Gaza on the eve of new talks

The United States announced on Saturday that Israel had tentatively accepted the terms of a proposed truce in its war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, as representatives of the Palestinian movement are expected to arrive in Cairo for talks on the proposal.

Mediators are striving ahead of the upcoming month of Ramadan, which begins on March 10th or 11th, to reach a ceasefire in the conflict that has been ongoing for almost five months and has led to the destruction of the Gaza Strip, threatened by famine.

Amid deteriorating humanitarian conditions and escalating violence, the Ministry of Health in the besieged territory announced the deaths of more than ten children due to malnutrition in recent days.

In Washington, a US official told the press on condition of anonymity, "The Israelis have tentatively accepted the elements of the agreement. The ball is now in Hamas' court."

Israel still needs to confirm its acceptance of the ceasefire plan.

Meanwhile, a source close to Hamas told Agence France-Presse that a delegation from the movement had traveled from Qatar to Egypt.

The source added, "The delegation will deliver the movement's official response" to the proposal resulting from talks between mediators and Israeli negotiators in Paris at the end of last month.

In the meantime, the "Cairo News" channel quoted a "high-ranking" source as saying that talks to reach a truce in Gaza "will resume tomorrow in Cairo with the participation of all parties."

AFP