Gaza ceasefire could come 'within next 24 hours' as negotiators meet in Egypt to agree deal, Hamas claims
3 March 2024, 16:01 | Updated: 3 March 2024, 18:28
A ceasefire in Gaza could come within next 24 hours as negotiators meet in Egypt to agree deal, Hamas has claimed.
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Officials arrived in Cairo for crunch talks on Sunday, with envoys from the US and Qatar also said to be there.
Hamas officials are said to have demanded military withdrawal from Gaza along with stepped-up humanitarian aid.
It comes as US President Joe Biden reportedly told negotiators in the city to ‘get me a deal’, according to US officials.
His comments come made the remarks were made to the emir of Qatar and the president of Egypt, who are assisting with negotiations.
Meanwhile, Israel wants a full list of hostages that are still alive as well as the release of some of those remaining from the October 7 attacks.
Most recent talks suggest only around 40 would be freed in exchange for around 400 Palestinian prisoners.
A security source in Israel told The Telegraph: "This is a very sensitive time as it’s reminiscent of the Gilad Shalit deal in which over 1,000 Palestinians were released in return for one Israeli soldier.
"While the priority is the release of the hostages, many of the 1,000 released before were responsible for what happened on Oct 7 so to see this repeated, would signal disaster for those who remember."
It is understood that there are hopes a deal can be agreed before the start of Ramadan on March 10 - but Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday that a deal was premature.
“We demand to know the names of all prisoners who will be part of the potential deal in advance," he said.
“I cannot make a commitment regarding reaching an agreement at this time.”
He said a ceasefire would only be temporary, insisting that Israel "will not cease the war against the Hamas".
It comes after the US airdropped more than 30,000 meals into Gaza following warnings of a worsening humanitarian situation in the war zone.
At least 115 Palestinians were killed and hundreds more wounded in the Thursday attack as they scrambled for aid, the Health Ministry in Hamas-ruled Gaza said.
Israel said many of the dead were trampled in a chaotic crush for the food aid, and its troops fired warning shots after the crowd moved toward them in a threatening way.
White House national security spokesperson John Kirby said on Friday that the air drops were being planned to deliver emergency humanitarian assistance in a safe way to people on the ground.
