A senior Hamas official told AFP on Sunday that a truce was possible within “24 to 48 hours” if Israel accepts its terms.
Delegations from Qatar, the United States, and Hamas headed to Cairo on Sunday for talks on a deal in Gaza, with talks expected to continue for a second day, Egypt’s state-linked Al-Qahera News reported, citing a high-level source.
While Qatar has not publicly commented on the meeting, a senior Hamas official confirmed to Al Jazeera that its delegation in Egypt is meeting “the Egyptian and Qatari brothers and to present the movement’s vision.”
“Whether or not the occupation delegation arrives in Cairo does not concern us,” he said, referring to Israel’s delegation.
A Hamas source separately told AFP that its delegation is led by senior leader Khalil Al-Haya.
“The delegation will meet Egyptian mediators and deliver the group’s response to the new Paris proposal,” the source said.
The Hamas source was referring to a framework deal negotiated last month in Paris between officials from Qatar, Egypt, the U.S., and Israel. The first such talks took place on January 28.
The framework deal on the table entails a six-week pause that would enable the release of the remaining 130 captives, including the bodies of those who died in Gaza, and the entry of aid into the besieged enclave.
The proposal came after a long stalemate since the previous pause, mediated by Qatar and Egypt, late last year. The truce lasted between November 24 and December 1, enabling the release of at least 110 Israeli and foreign captives from Gaza.
The captives’ release came in exchange for the release of 240 Palestinian women and children from Israeli prisons.
The total number of Palestinians the new deal would see released remains unspecified.
Israel accepted the terms of the framework deal over the weekend and it would materialise if Hamas agrees to it, Axios reported on Saturday, citing a U.S. official.
“The Israelis accepted the terms of the deal and if Hamas agrees, a six-week ceasefire can start immediately,” the official told reporters of numerous news agencies and outlets in a conference call.
A senior Hamas official also told AFP on Sunday that a truce was possible within “24 to 48 hours” if Israel accepts its terms, which include the return of displaced Palestinians and entry of aid into Gaza.
“If Israel agrees to Hamas demands, which include the return of displaced Palestinians to northern Gaza and increasing humanitarian aid, that would pave the way for a (truce) agreement within the next 24 to 48 hours,” the official told the French news agency.
Hamas’s key demand since last year has been a comprehensive ceasefire, something that Israel and the U.S. have opposed.
Israel’s genocidal war has killed more than 30,000 Palestinians in Gaza, more than 70% of whom are women and children, within nearly five months.
Gaza’s 2.2 million population have been suffering from starvation due to the extreme shortage of basic resources under Israel’s complete blockade on the Strip and the hindered entry of aid.
Disturbing reports on children and newborns dying from hunger have been emerging on an almost daily basis since last month.
On February 28, at least six infants died at the Kamal Adwan Hospital and the Al Shifa Medical Complex in northern Gaza due to severe malnutrition, according to Palestine’s news agency, Wafa.
On Monday, a child identified as Yazan Al-Kafarneh died in Rafah due to malnutrition, according to Al Jazeera.
Attacks on Palestinians continue
Israel’s attacks have not stopped since the expiration of the previous deal, targeting civilians including those seeking food.
Israel had targeted hundreds of Palestinians in Gaza near the Nabulsi roundabout on February 29 as they were collecting aid, killing more than 100 people.
Occupation forces committed another such massacre at the Kuwait Roundabout in Gaza City on Sunday, opening fire at Palestinians waiting for aid trucks, according to Wafa. Israel killed and injured dozens during the attack.
The attack was hours apart from another in Deir Al-Balah, where Israel targeted a truck carrying aid.
“The sources added that the occupation forces are carrying out systematic genocide crimes targeting hungry stomachs in northern Gaza,” Wafa reported.
On Sunday, Qatar’s Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Al-Thani said that Israel’s war on Gaza “has gone unabated.”
His remarks came during the 159th regular session of the Ministerial Council of the Gulf Cooperation Council in Riyadh.
“The war on Gaza has gone unabated for the past five months, resulting in the death and injury of tens of thousands of Palestinians. The international community has been unable to stop Israel’s relentless crimes and daily violation of international law,” he said, as cited by Qatar’s foreign ministry.
