All eyes are on the Israel-Hamas truce deal meeting, that is set to take place in Cairo on Thursday. Reportedly, Israel’s war cabinet representatives and Hamas’ delegation will arrive in Egypt for further ceasefire talks and the hostage deal.
A statement released by Hamas confirmed that the group will visit Egypt for further truce talks. Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh affirmed the group’s "positive spirit in studying the ceasefire proposal" in a phone call with Egypt's intelligence chief Abbas Kamel, reported The Times of Israel.
The mediation talks that took place earlier did not yield any results. Hamas has reiterated that it won't sign onto the deal without assurances that Israel would end its war in Gaza if it eventually releases all its hostages.
The proposal that US and Egyptian mediators have put to Hamas apparently with Israel's acceptance sets out a three-stage process that will bring an immediate six-week ceasefire and partial hostage release. The truce also includes negotiations to end the war permanently including the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza.
Israel has vowed not to stop the war till Hamas is destroyed. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that he has vowed that even if a ceasefire is reached, Israel will eventually attack Rafah, which he says is Hamas' last stronghold in Gaza.
However, Egypt has been privately assuring Hamas that the deal will mean a total end to the war. Even US Secretary of State Antony Blinken put pressure on Hamas to accept the deal and said that Israel had made very important compromises.
There's no time for further haggling. The deal is there, Blinken said Wednesday before leaving for the US.
The US and UN have warned that the Rafah assault could be catastrophic for Palestinian civilians. After fleeing Israel's assault elsewhere in Gaza, more than half the territory's population has crowded into tent camps and other shelters in and around Rafah.
