Gaza truce for Ramadan hangs in balance as Hamas seeks plan to end war
By Ahmed Mohamed Hassan and Nidal al-Mughrabi
CAIRO (Reuters) — Mediators expected to reconvene in Cairo as soon as Sunday are searching for a formula acceptable to Israel and Hamas to unlock a lasting ceasefire in Gaza, four sources with knowledge of talks said, as pressure mounts ahead of Ramadan for a pause in fighting.
Israeli and Hamas delegations were expected to arrive in Cairo on Sunday, two Egyptian security sources said, though another source briefed on the talks said Israel would not send a delegation until it got a full list of hostages who are still alive.
Hopes for the first pause in fighting since November had risen this week after a previous round of talks mediated by Qatar and Egypt in Doha and indications from U.S. President Joe Biden that agreement was close.
Hamas has not backed away from its position that a temporary truce must be the start of a process towards ending the war altogether, the Egyptian sources and a Hamas official said.
However, the Egyptian sources said assurances had been offered to Hamas that the terms of a permanent ceasefire would be worked out in second and third phases of the deal. The duration of the initial pause, a phase expected to last about six weeks, had been agreed upon, the sources said.
Hamas did not immediately respond to a request for comment regarding the assurances and whether they were sufficient to move forward with the six-week pause.
«When it comes to ending the war and pulling out forces out of Gaza, gaps remain unbridged,» a Palestinian official familiar with mediation efforts said. The official did not immediately confirm the Cairo talks.
A senior U.S. administration official said on Saturday that the framework for a six-week pause was in place, with
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