Hamas delegation visits Egypt for talks on Gaza ceasefire implementation

A Hamas delegation arrived in Cairo for talks with Egyptian officials on the implementation of the ceasefire agreement in Gaza, the Palestinian group said Thursday.

In a statement, Hamas said the delegation, headed by its Gaza chief Khalil al-Hayya, began meetings upon arrival on Wednesday with mediators from Egypt, Türkiye, and Qatar and is scheduled to hold talks with leaders and officials from Palestinian factions to achieve unified national positions on various issues.

The delegation had held separate meetings over the past two days in Ankara with Turkish intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin and Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, where they discussed developments on the ground in Gaza and the West Bank.

Hamas said the delegation reviewed the latest developments in negotiations, stressing the importance of full implementation of the ceasefire agreement, "especially obligating the (Israeli) occupation to fulfill all requirements of the first phase," and presented a detailed briefing on humanitarian and security conditions in Gaza.

The talks also addressed developments in Jerusalem, including the closure of Al-Aqsa Mosque to Muslim worshippers and the prevention of prayers, including Friday and Eid prayers, which the group described as "a dangerous precedent that threatens to implement the enemy's plans to control and Judaize the mosque."

The delegation also discussed the Israeli Knesset's approval of a law allowing the execution of Palestinian prisoners, warning of its implications for thousands of detainees in Israeli prisons.

The ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas took effect on Oct. 10, following mediation by Türkiye, Egypt, and Qatar under US President Donald Trump's Gaza plan.

Since then, Israel has continued violations of the agreement, with Gaza's Health Ministry reporting 713 Palestinians killed and 1,940 injured since the ceasefire.

The agreement was intended to end a two-year Israeli war that killed more than 72,000 people, wounded over 172,000, and caused widespread destruction to about 90% of civilian infrastructure, with reconstruction costs estimated by the UN at around $70 billion.