CAIRO Ceasefire talks in Gaza nearing 'significant progress'

(Patria) - Talks held in Cairo to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza were on the verge of "significant progress", two Egyptian security sources told Reuters on Monday.

There were no immediate comments from Israel and Hamas. Axios reporter Barak Ravid said in a brief post on social network X that an Israeli official denied this, without providing details.

Egyptian sources said there is consensus on a long-term ceasefire in the besieged enclave, but some contentious points remain, including Hamas's weapons.

Hamas has repeatedly said it is not ready to lay down its arms, which is a key demand of Israel.
Sources said that Egyptian and Israeli delegations are participating in the ongoing talks.

Mediators Egypt and Qatar have not reported on developments in the latest talks.
Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani stated on Sunday that a recent meeting in Doha on efforts to achieve a truce had made some progress, but noted that an agreement on how to end the war had not yet been reached.

He said Hamas is ready to return all remaining hostages if Israel ends the war in Gaza. But Israel wants Hamas to release the remaining hostages without offering a clear vision for ending the war, he added.

A media advisor to the Hamas leadership, Taher Al-Nono, told Reuters on Saturday that the group is open to a multi-year truce with Israel in Gaza, adding that Hamas hopes to build support among mediators for its offer.

Israel continued its offensive in Gaza on March 18 after the January ceasefire failed, saying it would continue to pressure Hamas until it released the remaining hostages still held in the enclave. Up to 24 of them are believed to still be alive.

The war in Gaza began after Hamas's attack on October 7, 2023, which killed 1,200 people and took 251 hostages to Gaza. Since then, more than 52,000 people have been killed in the Israeli offensive.