Hamas confirms beginning of ceasefire negotiations in Cairo

A Hamas delegation has arrived in Cairo on February 12 to discuss the implementation of the Gaza ceasefire agreement with Egyptian mediators.

Hamas has confirmed that the delegation headed by the group's leader in the Gaza Strip, Khalil al-Hayya, has started talks with Egyptian officials, Caliber.Az reports via Hamas' press release.

The discussions center on enforcing the ceasefire and negotiating a prisoner exchange between Palestinian detainees and Israelis held in Gaza through technical committees and mediators.

Mediators Egypt and Qatar have intensified efforts to salvage the ceasefire following pressure from the US and Israel, as Hamas has delayed the release of hostages accusing Israel of withholding aid, according to Egypt’s state-affiliated Al Qahera News TV as cited by Reuters. 

US President Donald Trump issues a renewed warning to Hamas, this time urging the militants to release all hostages by this week's Saturday 12 o'clock, threatening that “hell will break loose” otherwise. Israel has stated it will resume military operations if the terms of the agreement are not met.

Hamas has since rejected the US and Israeli warnings, announcing the postponement of the next hostage release, originally scheduled for February 15, Israeli reports. However, in a later statement, Hamas indicated that the release could still proceed as planned if Israel was willing to "fully honor" the terms of the ceasefire agreement.

By Nazrin Sadigova