Negotiations to reach a truce in the Gaza Strip have made progress in Cairo, with "a consensus" on "many controversial points", the Egyptian channel Al Qahera News reported today.
"In the Cairo round of negotiations, significant progress is being made in bringing the points of view closer together," an Egyptian source close to Egypt's intelligence services told Al Qahera News, saying that a "consensus has been reached on many controversial points".
The US and Israeli delegations "will withdraw" today and the consultations "will continue for the next 48 hours", Al Qahera News said.
The delegations from Qatar and the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas will also "leave and return to Cairo in two days", at the start of Eid al-Fitr, the festival that closes the holy month of Ramadan.
On their return, they will agree on "the terms of the final agreement", based on the "basic axes" already reached between all the parties.
This round of negotiations, which is taking place in total secrecy, took place on Sunday night in the Egyptian capital between the parties to the conflict and the mediators.
However, according to Hamas, the truce is no closer.
An official source from the organization confirmed the meeting but told Reuters that "there is still no progress".
"There have been no changes regarding the occupation. So there is nothing new to report on the negotiations in Cairo," the source commented.
Since before the start of Ramadan, attempts have been made to reach a truce agreement, including a ceasefire and the exchange of Israeli hostages in Gaza for Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails, but all attempts have so far failed due to rejection of the demands.
The current proposal under negotiation could result in a six-week ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, as well as the release of 40 of the hostages held by Hamas, including female soldiers, men over 50 and other men with serious medical problems.
In return, Israel would release 700 Palestinian prisoners, according to US and Israeli media.
On Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated that there will be no truce until the 133 hostages still held by Hamas return home, adding that Israel will not give in to the "extreme demands" of the Islamists.
According to the latest figures from the Gaza Health Ministry, 33,175 people have been killed in the war that began six months ago, after Hamas attacked Israeli territory on October 7, killing around 1,200 people.
