TEHRAN – Egypt’s General Intelligence Bureau is reporting to negotiate the next phase of the Gaza ceasefire as Hamas and Israeli delegations are in Cairo.
Qatar and the US representatives, who are intermediary with Egypt, have also arrived in Cairo.
According to Egyptian authorities, officials have launched intensive discussions on the next steps to implement the Gaza ceasefire agreement amid ongoing efforts to ensure compliance with the terms.
These consultations are part of a broader diplomatic effort to maintain a ceasefire.
Mediators are also looking for ways to improve the provision of humanitarian assistance to Gaza as part of a broader effort to alleviate the suffering of Gaza’s population and support the stability of the enclave.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office confirmed in a statement that it had directed the Israeli negotiation team to travel to Cairo and resume talks.
However, no additional details regarding the specific content of the discussion have been provided.
The development follows recent remarks by US President Donald Trump. President Donald Trump said “the decision to stop the fire in Gaza must be made by Israel,” emphasizing that it will ultimately be up to Netanyahu to decide whether to proceed with negotiations for the second phase of the contract.
Hamas declared it “blocked the enemy’s false justification,” and said the administration has now chosen to enter into second stage negotiations.
Hamas also warned that any Israeli attempt to stall or interfere with the agreement “will only increase the suffering of Israeli prisoners and their families.”
The movement reaffirmed that the only way to secure the release of Israeli prisoners of war in Gaza was through negotiation and compliance with the agreement.
In another statement, the Palestinian resistance has repeatedly made its “full commitment” to a ceasefire agreement, which includes all its details and clauses, and expressed its readiness to engage in consultations regarding the next phase of implementation.
“At the end of the first phase of the ceasefire agreement and prisoner exchange, the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) affirms its full commitment to implement all clauses of the contract in every stage and in detail.”
“And we are calling on the international community to put pressure on Zionist occupation to fully commit to its role in the agreement and to enter the second phase soon without delay or hesitation,” the statement added.
Despite 15 months of relentless Israeli artillery fire with the stated purpose of destroying Hamas, the movement retains its military power.
The first phase of the contract began on January 19th.
This is expected to end on Saturday following a 15-month US-backed war of genocide in Israel in Gaza.
Under the terms of the contract, negotiations for the second phase, which aimed at establishing the enduring purpose of the war and completing the release of the remaining prisoners, was expected to begin within the first six weeks of Phase 1.
Details of the second and third phases are understood to have been agreed in principle.
Former US President Joe Biden’s administration said the ceasefire will continue even if negotiations for the second and third phases are extended beyond the first six weeks of the first phase.
So far, the deal has led to the return of 33 Israeli prisoners, including eight bodies, in exchange for the release of around 1,700 Palestinian prisoners from Israeli prisons.
An anonymous Israeli official said in a statement to reporters that Israel has chosen not to withdraw from the areas occupying along the Gaza-Egypt border, despite being part of the first phase of the ceasefire.
The government media office in Gaza has documented more than 350 violations by Israeli occupation forces, including military intrusions, firefights, airstrikes, increased surveillance and obstruction of aid since the ceasefire began.
The media office also reported that airstrikes and gunfires have killed and wounded dozens of Palestinians since the ceasefire was implemented.