A renewed push is underway to revive Gaza ceasefire talks, with mediators stepping in after meetings in Cairo to revive the process as the impasse has deepened since the outbreak of the Iran war.
Talks due to resume in Cairo in the coming days aim to break the deadlock and advance unresolved issues, including activating the technocratic committee, while increasing pressure on Israel and preventing it from entrenching a fait accompli, experts told Asharq Al-Awsat.
Egypt’s Al Qahera News TV, citing unnamed sources on Saturday, said Cairo hosted discussions over the past two days involving mediators and Nickolay Mladenov, high representative for Gaza of the US-led Board of Peace, to advance ceasefire efforts.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty met Mladenov on April 1.
The sources said a “positive atmosphere” prevailed, with all parties committing to implementing all elements of US President Donald Trump’s Gaza plan.
However, they noted Hamas insists on implementing all outcomes of the Sharm el-Sheikh summit alongside Trump’s plan. They added that Hamas and other Palestinian factions had reaffirmed their commitment to completing all phases of the ceasefire, with agreement to continue talks in Cairo next week.
Hamas said on Friday its delegation met Egyptian officials, Palestinian factions, and Mladenov, in the presence of mediators from Egypt, Qatar, and Türkiye, stressing the need to complete the first phase of the agreement in full.
The group reiterated its commitment, along with other factions, to all stages of the ceasefire, adding it had been invited to resume talks in Cairo in the coming days.
Tarek Fahmy, a political science professor and analyst of Palestinian and Israeli affairs, said Cairo is keen to keep the agreement alive to prevent Israel from consolidating control over Gaza amid the Iran war.
He said mediators are working to break the stalemate and move discussions forward on outstanding issues, including the launch of the technocratic committee.
Palestinian political analyst Nizar Nazzal said Hamas believes Israel is unlikely to implement the second phase. He said the group is seeking to shift the pressure on Israel by signaling its readiness to implement the full agreement, in a bid to break the deadlock.
A Palestinian source close to Hamas and other factions told Asharq Al-Awsat that a delegation led by Khalil al-Hayya met Mladenov and discussed the proposed framework, including weapons and the integration of employees into police and civil institutions.
The source said Hamas’ position in Cairo was clear: Israeli withdrawal, deployment of stabilization forces, and formation of a police force must come before any steps on disarmament, warning that any alternative risks a major security vacuum.
The disarmament of Hamas is central to what has been dubbed the “Mladenov plan,” outlined at the UN Security Council in late March.
According to details published by international and regional media, the plan includes dismantling tunnels and relinquishing weapons in stages over eight months, with full Israeli withdrawal contingent on verification that Gaza is free of weapons.
Israel says it will not withdraw from Gaza unless Hamas is disarmed first.
