TALKS in Cairo towards a Gaza truce and hostage release deal have made “significant progress”, Egyptian state-linked media reported Monday, more than half a year into the war started by the October 7 attack.
Israel kept up the pressure, warning that it was ready for future military operations against Hamas in Gaza’s far-southern city of Rafah, the last area so far spared a ground invasion.
Israel on Sunday pulled its forces out of the southern Gaza Strip and the main city there, Khan Yunis, allowing large numbers of displaced Palestinians to return to the devastated urban area.
But Defence Minister Yoav Gallant stressed that the aim was for Israeli forces “to prepare for future missions, including… in Rafah” on the Egyptian border.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, marking half a year of war since the unprecedented attack of October 7, also said Israel was “one step away from victory”.
But, as truce talks resumed, Netanyahu also told his cabinet that “Israel is ready for a deal”, adding that “there will be no ceasefire without the return of hostages”.
International pressure has mounted on Israel to end the war which has brought mass civilian casualties and destroyed swathes of the coastal Palestinian territory.
Israel’s main ally, diplomatic backer and arms supplier the United States last week demanded a ceasefire and hostage release deal along with ramped-up aid deliveries.
US President Joe Biden sharpened his tone after voicing “outrage” over an Israeli strike that killed seven aid workers from the US-based food charity World Central Kitchen.
While Israel and Hamas have kept up bellicose rhetoric, they have also sent negotiators to Cairo, joined by mediators from the United States, Egypt and Qatar.
Egyptian state-linked news outlet Al-Qahera reported “significant progress being made on several contentious points of agreement”, citing an unnamed high-ranking Egyptian source.
The outlet said Qatari and Hamas delegations had left Cairo and were expected to return “within two days to finalise the terms of the agreement”.
US and Israeli delegations were also due to leave the Egyptian capital “in the next few hours” for consultations over the next 48 hours, it added.