Hamas delegation arrives in Cairo for Gaza ceasefire talks

A senior delegation from the Palestinian resistance group Hamas arrived in Cairo on Friday evening for negotiations with Egyptian officials on completing the implementation of the first phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement and establishing mechanisms to enter the second phase, the movement said in a statement.

Delegation composition and negotiation mandate

The delegation is led by Khalil al-Hayya, the movement’s leader in Gaza and head of its negotiating team, and includes Zaher Jabarin, Hamas' leader in the occupied West Bank, alongside political bureau members Husam Badran and Ghazi Hamad, according to the statement. A new round of negotiations is scheduled to begin Saturday and will last for several days, focusing on the remaining steps of the initial truce, the statement added. The team will meet with Egyptian officials and mediators to finalize implementation of the first phase, halt repeated Israeli attacks on the Strip, and establish suitable mechanisms for entering the second phase of the agreement.

Unity talks and US framework

The delegation will also meet with Palestinian factions and forces to present a unified national position on various issues and reach consensus on how to address the challenges facing the Palestinian people, Hamas said. The talks aim to coordinate responses to ongoing Israeli violations of the ceasefire agreement, which Palestinian sources say have occurred on a near-daily basis since the truce took effect on October 10 despite repeated international calls for adherence. US President Donald Trump announced a 20-point plan in September outlining a comprehensive ceasefire framework that includes the release of Israeli captives, Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza, and the deployment of an international stabilization force alongside a call for Hamas to disarm.

Casualties and agreement phases

The first phase of the ceasefire agreement included a ceasefire and prisoner exchange between Israel and Palestinian factions, though Palestinian sources report Israel has continued to violate the agreement on a near-daily basis with ongoing military operations. Under the second phase, Israel is expected to carry out further withdrawals from the territory while an international stabilization force assumes security responsibilities, including facilitating the delivery of humanitarian aid and reconstruction materials to the devastated enclave. Israel's offensive in Gaza since October 2023 has killed nearly 73,000 Palestinians and injured more than 173,000, most of them women and children, according to Palestinian figures, with at least 947 killed and 2,935 injured since the October 10 ceasefire began, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.