Talks begin in Cairo on advancing fragile Gaza ceasefire

CAIRO: Talks on advancing the fragile Gaza ceasefire have begun in Cairo between mediators and Palestinian factions, a Palestinian source familiar with the meeting said. The discussions, which started on Sunday, come as violence continues to plague the territory despite the truce in place since October. The talks bring together mediators Egypt, Qatar and Türkiye, along with representatives of several Palestinian factions, as efforts continue to push forward negotiations on the second phase of the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas.
According to the source, mediators were due to meet a Hamas delegation before midday on Monday, followed by a wider meeting including all participating factions. Egypt's state-linked Al Qahera News channel said Sunday's talks focused on 'the proposed road map for completing the implementation of the agreement'. 'It was held in a positive atmosphere,' the channel reported, adding that there was agreement on the need to continue implementing US President Donald Trump's plan.
The talks come amid rising regional tensions, after Israel and Iran traded fire on Monday, in a serious test of another fragile truce and a potential threat to hopes for a deal to end the wider Middle East war. Despite the Gaza truce technically in effect since October, daily violence has rocked the territory, over half of which is under Israeli military control in defiance of the ceasefire's terms.
Israel has killed at least 936 people since the ceasefire began, according to Gaza's health ministry, which operates under Hamas authority and whose figures are considered reliable by the UN. Both Hamas and Israel accuse each other of violating the truce.
The first phase of the ceasefire involved the release of the last Israeli hostages held by Hamas in exchange for Palestinians detained by Israel. A transition to the second phase, which was supposed to involve Hamas's disarmament and a gradual withdrawal of the Israeli military, has been stalled for months.
The question of Gaza's post-war governance also remains one of the main sticking points in negotiations on implementing the provisions of phase two. Israel rejects any return of Hamas to power, but also rejects a direct takeover by the Ramallah-based Palestinian Authority at this stage. Hamas, meanwhile, demands the establishment of a Palestinian administration before considering handing over part of its arsenal — a key stipulation for the second phase, along with Israel's withdrawal. — AFP