Hamas accepts US truce plan as Israel sends delegation to Cairo

Hamas has accepted a  Gaza ceasefire proposal presented by mediators on Monday that reportedly involves the release of 10 captives in two batches and a 70-day truce.

"Hamas has agreed to the new proposal by US envoy Steve Witkoff, which the movement received from mediators," the source told AFP, adding that "during the truce, negotiations would begin on a permanent ceasefire with American guarantees".

Though Israel has so far said nothing in response, a security delegation from Tel Aviv arrived in Cairo on Monday for high-level talks with Egyptian intelligence officials, amid the intensified regional and international efforts to reach a ceasefire in Gaza and prepare the ground for a broader political resolution.

The discussions in Cairo include finalising a ceasefire mechanism, coordinating border arrangements, reopening the Rafah crossing, and establishing ways to deliver humanitarian aid that has been held up in northern Sinai.

Sources told The New Arab's Arabic sister outlet Al-Araby Al-Jadeed that the delegation includes officials from Israel’s internal security agency, the Shin Bet and a military coordinator. The agenda includes security and technical details related to the next phase, should a truce be reached.

A source close to the negotiations said mediators, particularly the United States, are working on a phased ceasefire agreement lasting at least two months. The plan would require Hamas to release several living Israeli captives, as well as the remains of dead Israelis, on the first day of the truce. In exchange, Israel would withdraw from positions it has occupied since its most recent ground offensive.

"The remaining living captives, estimated at around ten, would be handed over on the final day of the agreement, along with the bodies of others whose locations have not yet been determined," the source said.

The agreement includes the immediate entry of all forms of aid, including fuel, into Gaza, and the reopening of the Rafah crossing under a tripartite coordination mechanism involving Egypt, Israel, and international monitors. It would also permit the entry of rubble removal equipment and the reopening of key routes.

A senior source confirmed "a firm American commitment to ensuring Israel implements the agreement," adding that following the first hostage release, direct negotiations would begin toward a permanent end to the war. Those talks are to be guided by a "joint American-Arab vision for the future of the Gaza Strip," being discussed with both Hamas and Israel.

The source speaking to Al-Araby Al-Jadeed also revealed that communication between Hamas and the US has continued over the past weeks, even during Israel’s absence from the Doha track.

"Several meetings and discussions have taken place, attended by mediators and held in complete secrecy, with the aim of reaching understandings away from media pressure," the source said, noting that Israel has received full updates via the US delegation.

The source added that Washington "is exerting intense pressure on all parties to seize the current political and humanitarian moment," in the context of "growing European opposition to the continuation of the assault and worsening conditions on the ground".

According to the same source, some Arab countries are pushing for a wider political agreement that would "secure a future for Gaza without Hamas remaining in control," via a "consensual political framework backed by the United States and Arab states", to be implemented once the war ends.

Al-Araby Al-Jadeed has learned that this joint vision will be proposed "as part of the outcomes of the interim agreement currently under negotiation," and would serve as "an entry point to reconstruction and political reorganisation" in Gaza after years of siege, division, and war.