Hamas delegation in Cairo for Gaza ceasefire talks

A delegation from the Palestinian resistance faction Hamas arrived Sunday in Cairo for talks aiming to hammer out a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, which has been reeling under a devastating Israeli offensive over the past month. The six-member delegation, led by senior member Ezzat al-Rashq, arrived from Doha on Sunday, a security source at the airport told Anadolu Agency on the condition of anonymity. On Saturday, a delegation from the Palestine Liberation Organization arrived to the Egyptian capital for the talks. An airport source said that Cairo Airport had already received a notice about the arrival of United States Deputy Secretary of State William Burns on Sunday to participate in the Gaza ceasefire talks. Israel has been pounding the Gaza Strip – home to 1.8 million people – for the past four weeks with the stated aim of halting rocket fire. At least 1735 Palestinians – mostly civilians – have been killed and more than 9170 others injured in relentless Israeli attacks on the beleaguered territory. Gaza-based resistance factions, meanwhile, have continued to fire rockets at Israeli cities in response to the ongoing Israeli attacks. At least 63 Israeli soldiers have also been killed in battles with Palestinian fighters and three civilians in rocket attacks.

On July 14, Egypt proposed an initiative with an eye on suspending hostilities between Israel and resistance factions in the Gaza Strip.

However, the initiative, initially welcomed by Israel, was rejected by Palestinian factions Hamas and Islamic Jihad, who said that the plan's terms do not meet the conditions of the Palestinian resistance.