Hamas’s Haniyeh arrives in Cairo as reports swirl of talks on new truce, hostage deal

Hamas announced Wednesday morning that the leader of its political bureau, Ismail Haniyeh, had arrived in Cairo to conduct talks with Egyptian officials on the latest developments in the war in Gaza and on “other files,” according to a statement released by the Palestinian terror group.

The talks have been widely reported to be set to focus on a possible ceasefire or truce in the Israel-Hamas war and a deal to release hostages held in Gaza in exchange for Palestinian security prisoners in Israeli jails.

Haniyeh was due to meet Egyptian intelligence chief Abbas Kamel and other officials for talks on “stopping the aggression and the war to prepare an agreement for the release of prisoners,” a source close to the terror group told AFP.

Haniyeh, based in Qatar, was accompanied by a “high-level” Hamas delegation and was set to discuss “the delivery of humanitarian aid, the withdrawal of the Israeli army from the Gaza Strip and the return of displaced persons to their towns and villages in the north,” the source added.

The news agency reported that the Egypt talks would focus on proposals including a weeklong truce that would see the release of 40 Israeli hostages, including women, children and male noncombatants. Similar details were reported Tuesday night by Axios. READ MORE