A Hamas negotiating delegation led by Khalil al-Hayya arrived Saturday in Cairo to discuss implementation of the Gaza ceasefire agreement with senior Egyptian intelligence officials. At the same time, Hamas has continued to sidestep demands that it disarm, insisting the issue must be addressed within "a comprehensive political framework with international and regional guarantees."
A source within the Hamas delegation told the Saudi-owned Asharq Al-Awsat that the talks would continue on Sunday and focus on "stopping Israeli violations," as the source put it, as well as implementing other Phase One commitments under the ceasefire agreement and reviewing the situation in the Gaza Strip.
Demands: more trucks, IDF positions dismantled
According to sources, Hamas' demands center on "halting all Israeli ceasefire violations, including the dismantling of military positions established west of the yellow line [the agreed buffer zone boundary in the southern Gaza Strip], alongside a halt to ongoing incursion operations," in their words.
Hamas also demanded that all crossings be opened, that the number of patients and their companions permitted to pass through the Rafah crossing be raised to approximately 200 per day, and that eligible travel categories be expanded. Another demand from the terrorist organization is that aid deliveries into Gaza be increased to approximately 600 trucks per day, along with permission to bring in goods to meet the population's needs.
Additionally, the Hamas delegation was reported to be holding consultations with other Palestinian organizations in Cairo, including Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP), the Resistance Committees, and the Palestinian Initiative, in order to coordinate positions ahead of negotiations.
Will the CEO of the Gaza Board of Peace respond?
It was also noted that the Hamas delegation is expected to meet with Nickolay Mladenov, the CEO of the Gaza Board of Peace, to discuss Hamas's objections to his framework for Gaza. Hamas is expected to press its demands for mechanisms governing an Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, as well as mechanisms for the strip's reconstruction and administration. According to sources, Hamas and the other organizations are calling for a gradual Israeli withdrawal culminating in a full pullout from Gaza, alongside the lifting of aid restrictions.
The Hamas delegation is expected to continue its meetings with Egyptian mediators in the coming days as part of efforts to consolidate the ceasefire and prevent the existing understandings from collapsing.
