Al Jazeera: Hamas Delegation Heads to Cairo for Ceasefire Talks; Hamas Official Tells AFP: Delegation Will Not Participate in Negotiations

Al Jazeera reported that today a delegation from Hamas is heading to Cairo to discuss a ceasefire agreement and the release of hostages from Gaza. Minutes after this news was released, a senior Hamas official told AFP that this Palestinian group, supported by the Islamic Republic, 'is sending a delegation to Cairo today, but they will not participate in the ceasefire negotiations regarding Gaza and the release of hostages.' The official, who requested anonymity, stated, 'The delegation will meet with senior Egyptian intelligence officials to be informed about the developments in the current round of ceasefire negotiations in Gaza... but this does not mean they will participate in the negotiations.' According to Al Jazeera, a high-ranking Israeli delegation was present in Cairo this week and in Doha last week to discuss the latest proposals for an agreement with American and Egyptian negotiators. The Israeli publication 'Times of Israel' also reported that pressures to finalize an agreement for the release of remaining hostages by Hamas and to end the conflicts in Gaza have reached a peak. This Israeli media outlet noted that it is believed that 105 hostages remain from the 251 hostages taken by Hamas on October 7 in Gaza. Concurrently with the negotiators' presence in Cairo, U.S. President Joe Biden spoke by phone with the leaders of Qatar and Egypt on Friday to expedite the process of reaching a ceasefire agreement in Gaza and the release of hostages. Reuters reported on Friday that Biden, who is spending his vacation in California, is overseeing the ceasefire negotiations in contact with Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, reviewing the latest diplomatic efforts to finalize the ceasefire in Gaza and the hostage release agreement. Biden's discussions come after the White House described the negotiations in Cairo as 'constructive' and called on all parties to cooperate in implementing the proposed agreement. The presence of the Israeli negotiating team in Egypt aims to resume ceasefire negotiations. The phone call between the U.S. President and the President of Egypt and the Emir of Qatar indicates that efforts to reach a ceasefire agreement are ongoing. The continuation of ceasefire negotiations in Cairo has seen 'progress' according to the White House. U.S. and Israeli defense ministers discussed 'ongoing threats' from the Iranian regime and Hezbollah. Netanyahu expressed dissatisfaction with the negotiating team and emphasized the priority of ensuring the security of Israelis. The U.S. representative to the United Nations stated that the ceasefire agreement in Gaza is 'within reach.'