Egyptian media hints at breakthrough in Gaza cease-fire talks

ANKARA

Egyptian media reports on Saturday indicated “significant progress” in the Gaza cease-fire negotiations between the Palestinian resistance group Hamas and Israel.

Egyptian channel Cairo 24 suggested the emergence of a "consensual formula" on several contentious points.

Quoting an unnamed high-level source, the channel said that “a Hamas delegation arrived at Egypt,” adding that “there has been significant progress in the negotiations” between Hamas and Israel.

“An Egyptian security delegation reached a consensus formula on many points of disagreement,” the channel added.

On Friday, Egypt's state-run Al-Qahera News channel quoted a senior informed Egyptian source saying Egypt will receive a delegation from Hamas on Saturday to discuss the cease-fire proposal.

Hamas is estimated to be holding more than 130 Israeli hostages, while Tel Aviv is holding more than 9,100 Palestinians in its jails.

A deal last November saw the release of 81 Israelis and 24 foreigners in exchange for 240 Palestinians, including 71 women and 169 children.

The recent proposal reportedly suggests a six-week cease-fire, during which Hamas would release 33 hostages, including women, female soldiers, elderly individuals, and injured captives, in exchange for the release of a large number of Palestinians from Israeli jails.

Hamas is demanding an end to Israel’s deadly offensive on the Gaza Strip and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the territory for a hostage-prisoner swap deal with Tel Aviv.

Israel has waged a deadly military offensive on Gaza since an Oct. 7 Hamas incursion which killed some 1,200 people.

Tel Aviv, in comparison, has killed more than 34,600 Palestinians and wounded nearly 78,000 amid mass destruction and shortages of necessities in the Palestinian territory.

Nearly seven months into the Israeli onslaught, vast swathes of Gaza lie in ruins, pushing 85% of the enclave’s population into internal displacement besides a crippling blockade on food, clean water, and medicine, according to the UN.

Israel is accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice, which in January issued an interim ruling that ordered Tel Aviv to prevent genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.

*Writing by Ikram Kouachi