Gaza ceasefire next week? Negotiations to resume in Cairo on Sunday

A week after Biden ‘hoped’ that Israel and Hamas would reach a ceasefire deal by Ramzan, Egyptian officials on Saturday said that truce negotiations are due to resume in Cairo on March 3.

The negotiation talks will reopen the possibility of reaching a ceasefire deal by March 10, the day the Muslim Holy month of Ramzan will begin.

The sources told Reuters that an incident on Thursday in which more than 100 Palestinians seeking aid were killed by Israeli fire according to Gazan authorities, had not slowed down the talks, but instead pushed negotiators to hasten to preserve progress.

Meanwhile, US officials say that the negotiations hinge mostly on Hamas’ response to a hostage deal brokered by Qatar, Egypt, Israel and the US.

According to a Gaza truce draft proposal, in exchange for the 40 hostages listed under the humanitarian category, approximately 400 Palestinian prisoners will be released, according to the ratio of 10 prisoners to one hostage.

Giving out further details of the negotiations, the Egyptian security officials said that both parties have agreed on the duration of the truce and have also shaken hands on hostage and prisoner exchange. However, the completion of the deal still requires an agreement on the withdrawal of Israeli forces from northern Gaza and a return of its residents.

Meanwhile, Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki has expressed the hope that a ceasefire will be agreed in time for Ramadan.

“We hope that we will be able to achieve a ceasefire before Ramadan, we hope to be able to achieve one today, yesterday, but we have failed,” Maliki, who represents the West Bank-based Palestinian Authority, said during a visit to Turkey.

Similarly, US President Joe Biden said on Friday, “We’re trying to work out a deal between Israel and Hamas on the hostages being returned and an immediate ceasefire in Gaza for at least the next six weeks and to allow the surge of aid to the Gaza Strip.”

With inputs from agencies