Last-minute movements: Hamas delegation heads to Egypt with a “positive spirit,” while Tel Aviv awaits the response

Hamas announced on Friday, May 3, 2024, that its delegation would head to Cairo to continue indirect talks with Israel regarding a prisoner exchange deal and a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. Security sources in Cairo revealed the arrival of William Burns, the director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), to participate in the negotiations.

Hamas stated in a press release: “In light of recent contacts with the mediators in Egypt and Qatar, a delegation from Hamas will head to Cairo on Saturday, May 4, 2024, to continue the discussions.”

The statement added: “As we affirm the positive spirit with which the leadership of the movement dealt with the proposal for a ceasefire recently received, we are going to Cairo with the same spirit to reach an agreement.”

“We are determined, along with the Palestinian resistance forces, to mature the agreement, to meet the demands of our people for a complete cessation of aggression, the withdrawal of occupation forces, the return of displaced persons, the relief of our people, the start of reconstruction, and the completion of a serious prisoner exchange deal,” they continued.

Meanwhile, three Egyptian security sources at Cairo International Airport stated that William Burns, the director of the CIA, had arrived in Cairo to attend meetings on the exchange negotiations and the ceasefire in Gaza.

An American official stated on Friday evening that the United States believes progress has been made in the negotiations for Israeli detainees in Gaza, but they are still waiting to hear more on this matter.

Egypt, along with Qatar and the United States, is making strenuous efforts to mediate between Israel and the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) to reach an agreement on a ceasefire and a prisoner exchange deal.

Awaiting Hamas’ Response

In Tel Aviv, the occupation continues to await a response from Hamas regarding the broad outlines of the latest proposal for the exchange deal formulated in Tel Aviv with the presence of an Egyptian delegation last week.

Israeli media outlets reported that Tel Aviv had issued a warning to Hamas that it had a week to respond to the latest proposal, or else it would begin a military operation to invade the city of Rafah.

Mediators are anticipating Hamas’ response to the latest version of the proposed agreement, which includes a ceasefire and the release of Israeli hostages detained in the sector.

For the first time, Tel Aviv expressed implicit readiness in the new proposal to discuss ending the war in Gaza in the next stages of the negotiations.

The new proposal includes responding to Hamas’s basic demands, such as being prepared to allow Palestinian refugees to return to their homes completely, the withdrawal of the Israeli army from the sector crossing, and readiness to reach a permanent ceasefire, within the framework of implementing the second stage of the agreement.

Tel Aviv estimates the presence of 133 Israeli prisoners in Gaza, while Hamas announced the death of 70 of them in indiscriminate Israeli airstrikes. Israel detains at least 9,500 Palestinians in its prisons.

For months, Egypt, Qatar, and the United States have been leading indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas, amidst mutual accusations between the movement and Tel Aviv of responsibility for the stalemate.

The destructive Israeli war on Gaza has left over 112,000 dead and wounded, mostly children and women, along with immense famine and destruction, according to Palestinian and UN data.

Despite a United Nations Security Council resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire and its first appearance before the International Court of Justice on charges of committing “genocide,” Israel continues this war.