As Israel and Hamas consider the latest proposal regarding a ceasefire in Gaza, an Israeli delegation has arrived in Egypt to advance talks on the ceasefire. Three Egyptian officials at the airports stated that the Israeli delegation has arrived, but did not provide further details. They added that international mediators are seeking to push Israel and Hamas towards an incremental agreement that would stop the fighting and release about 120 detainees from Gaza.
This comes as tensions escalated over the weekend when Israel announced it targeted Hamas military leader Mohammed Deif in a significant strike. His status remains unclear, especially with Israel confirming the attack while Hamas denied it.
Meanwhile, inside Israel, Mossad chief David Barnea stated on Wednesday that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's insistence on new points during negotiations with Hamas may hinder reaching a ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip. It was revealed that the current dispute stems from Netanyahu's insistence on a monitoring mechanism for the movement of Gaza residents from the southern part of the territory to the northern part, according to the Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth.
The report indicated that mediators are awaiting Israel's response concerning two points: the return of Hamas elements to northern Gaza and the withdrawal of the Israeli army from the Philadelphi Route and the Rafah crossing on the border with Egypt, with negotiations set to begin after Israel's response.
It is noteworthy that talks have been ongoing in Qatar and Egypt since last week regarding a U.S.-backed agreement to halt the fighting in Gaza, which has now entered its tenth month, and to secure the release of hostages held by Hamas, involving the heads of American, Egyptian, and Israeli intelligence agencies. Israeli security officials from the negotiation team stated before the cabinet that there is a good chance for reaching an agreement, claiming that Hamas is in a difficult position and that the opportunity should be seized, as detailing the agreement will take weeks, according to their statements.
