‘Significant progress’ in Cairo talks for Gaza truce: Egypt TV

CAIRO (AFP): Mediators and Hamas envoys have made “significant progress” towards a Gaza truce, Egyptian state-linked TV reported Monday as the talks in Cairo entered a second day.

After weeks of diplomatic efforts, Egypt, Qatar and the United States have been scrambling to lock in a proposed six-week truce in the war between Israel and Hamas before Ramadan starts next week.

The proposal also includes the release of hostages abducted during Hamas’s October 7 attack that sparked the war, in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.

Al-Qahera News, linked to Egypt’s intelligence services, quoted an unnamed senior official as saying: “Egypt continues its intense efforts to reach a truce before Ramadan”, the Muslim fasting month which begins on March 10 or 11.

“There has been significant progress in the negotiations,” the report said after the latest talks began Sunday in Cairo, without Israeli representation.

According to a senior US official, Israel has broadly accepted terms of the proposed six-week truce, which would also see stepped-up aid deliveries into Gaza.

Envoys from the United States, Qatar and Hamas arrived in Cairo, state-linked media reported.

A Hamas official said that if Israel were to meet its demands — which include a military withdrawal from Gaza and stepped-up humanitarian aid — this would “pave the way for an agreement within the next 24-48 hours”.