Israeli delegation arrives in Cairo for Gaza ceasefire talks: what is known
Kyiv • UNN
An Israeli delegation has arrived in Egypt for talks on a ceasefire with Hamas. A long-term truce, exchange of hostages and withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza are being discussed.
An Israeli delegation arrived in the Egyptian capital on Sunday evening to hold talks with mediators on a possible ceasefire agreement with Hamas. This is reported by The Times of Israel, writes UNN.
Details
According to the Qatari newspaper Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, the delegation met with senior Egyptian officials on Monday, and the BBC reported that mediators had put forward a proposal for a long-term truce.
As indicated, Egypt and Qatar are proposing a ceasefire for a term of five to seven years, an official end to the war, a complete withdrawal of the Israel Defense Forces from the Gaza Strip, and the release of "all Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli prisons," which, as noted, confirms the Times of Israel's report on the comprehensive agreement that Hamas is seeking.
The BBC report, citing a senior Palestinian official, does not say whether the remaining hostages who are not Israeli citizens will be released - two of whom are Thai and non-Palestinian, as well as the bodies of two Thais and a Tanzanian citizen.
Meanwhile, Israel's military operation in the Gaza Strip continues: the Hamas-controlled civil defense agency said seven people were killed in new airstrikes on the territory.
"The occupation carried out brutal airstrikes on Gaza City and the cities of Beit Lahia, Beit Hanun and Khan Yunis, killing seven civilians," civil defense spokesman Mahmoud Bassal told AFP on Tuesday. In its casualty figures, Hamas, as noted, consistently confuses civilians with terrorist fighters.
Israel does not comment on individual strikes, but says it seeks to minimize civilian casualties and stresses that Hamas uses Gaza civilians as human shields, conducting combat operations from civilian areas, including homes, hospitals, schools and mosques.
On Monday, the country's Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich criticized the current conduct of the war, saying that if the fighting does not escalate, the current government will "have no justification for its existence."
Let us remind you
Earlier, a Hamas representative stated that they want a comprehensive agreement on ending the war in the Gaza Strip and exchanging all Israeli hostages for Palestinians held in prison in Israel.