Israel and Hamas are set to resume truce talks in Cairo on Sunday, signaling a potential thaw in negotiations to halt the prolonged conflict. This development follows a series of failed attempts to broker peace, with both sides showing signs of readiness to re-engage in dialogue under Egyptian mediation.
The decision to resume talks comes after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu approved an Israeli delegation’s trip to Cairo for indirect negotiations with Hamas, inspiring cautious optimism for progress despite the complexities surrounding the demands and conditions each side has previously set forth. Hamas, however, has indicated its intentions to await the outcome of the Cairo mediators’ discussions with Israel before making any further commitments. The group’s demands for the return of all northern Gazans and the release of hostages in exchange for an Israeli commitment to withdraw IDF forces and end the war have been central sticking points.
Israel’s delegation to Cairo will include officials from Shin Bet and Mossad. Although high-profile leaders such as Mossad chief David Barnea and Shin Bet head Ronen Bar are not expected to participate directly in the initial talks, their involvement in subsequent discussions in Doha remains a possibility. The backdrop to these renewed efforts at diplomacy is a series of rejections and counterproposals that have characterized the negotiation attempts between Israel, Hamas, Egypt, Qatar, and the United States, including last Monday’s rejection by Hamas of compromises brokered in Doha, which prompted Israel to recall most of its negotiating team.