Israel and Hamas signal openness to talks on Gaza war
The war in Gaza has raged for more than a year, since Hamas fighters raided southern Israel
Israel said on Thursday its spy chief will attend Gaza ceasefire talks and Hamas vowed to stop fighting if a truce is reached, as long-stalled efforts to end the war appeared to gain momentum.
Previous bids to stop the year-long war have failed, though the United States has voiced hope the killing of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar last week could serve as an opening for a deal.
A senior Hamas official told Agence France-Presse that a delegation from the group’s Doha-based leadership discussed “ideas and proposals” related to a Gaza truce with Egyptian officials in Cairo on Thursday.
“Hamas has expressed readiness to stop the fighting, but Israel must commit to a ceasefire, withdraw from the Gaza Strip, allow the return of displaced people, agree to a serious prisoner exchange deal and allow the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza,” the official said.
The talks in Cairo were part of Egypt’s ongoing efforts to resume ceasefire negotiations, he added.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he welcomed Egypt’s readiness to reach a deal “for the release of the hostages” still held by militants in Gaza.