Hamas Officials Depart Cairo Following Discussions on Cease-Fire Proposal

Officials from Hamas have left Cairo after talks with Egyptian officials on a new proposal for a cease-fire in Gaza, Egypt’s state-owned Al-Qahera News satellite channel reported on Tuesday. The channel, which has close ties with Egyptian security agencies, stated that a Hamas delegation will return to Cairo with a written response to the cease-fire proposal.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is expected to visit Israel on his latest trip to the region, emphasizing the need for Israel to allow aid to enter Gaza. Blinken highlighted that the best way to alleviate the humanitarian crisis is for both sides to agree to a cease-fire.

Meanwhile, the Gaza Health Ministry reported that 47 people were killed by Israeli strikes in the past 24 hours, with 61 wounded individuals brought to hospitals. This brings the overall Palestinian death toll from the Israel-Hamas conflict to at least 34,536, with 77,704 wounded. The ministry noted that women and children make up around two-thirds of those killed.

The Israeli military claims to have killed roughly 13,000 militants during the war, although no evidence has been provided to support this assertion.

The Hamas delegation, led by senior official Khalil al-Hayya, engaged in talks with Egyptian officials regarding a proposed cease-fire in Gaza. Egypt, along with Qatar and the United States, is mediating between Israel and Hamas to secure a truce after months of conflict. The terms of the draft deal were not disclosed, but reports suggest that Israel has softened its stance, now seeking the release of 33 hostages in exchange for around 900 Palestinian prisoners held by Hamas.

As the situation in Gaza remains tense, efforts to reach a cease-fire continue amidst escalating casualties and humanitarian concerns.