Four “critical and decisive” issues are at the center of the latest round of Cairo-hosted negotiations aimed at accelerating the implementation of the Gaza ceasefire, according to a well-informed Egyptian source involved in the talks.
Israel has repeatedly violated the ceasefire announced last October, killing more than 1,000 Palestinians and assassinating senior Hamas leaders. Mediators led by Egypt, Qatar, and Türkiye are seeking to preserve the agreement and move it into its next phases in an effort to restore calm to the enclave after nearly three years of war.
A Hamas delegation and representatives of other Palestinian factions arrived in Cairo on Tuesday.
The Egyptian source told Asharq Al-Awsat that the talks, expected to continue through Wednesday, build on negotiations launched last week and are intended to settle four key issues.
The first is the immediate launch of the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza, with priority at this stage given to its work rather than the issue of weapons of factions.
The second involves establishing the framework for weapons storage and reconciling proposals for both disarmament and storage. The third focuses on redefining the mandate of the Board of Peace, particularly with regard to the guarantees it can provide.
The fourth concerns coordination over the planned International Stabilization Force, with several countries having already dispatched delegations to discuss the initiative. The identities of participating states are expected to become clear soon.
The source acknowledged that differences remain over several issues, but said Nickolay Mladenov, the High Representative for the Board of Peace, could travel to Cairo if the talks continue to progress positively and recent amendments gain momentum.
He added that the most encouraging development is Hamas’ constructive approach, noting that its delegation has full authority to make decisions and is participating alongside other Palestinian factions.
The source also pointed to intensive diplomatic efforts to ensure the success of the Cairo talks, highlighting the presence of Turkish intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin in the Egyptian capital.
Egypt, Türkiye, and Qatar, he stressed, are coordinating to shield Hamas from pressure by other regional actors, including Iran, which has recently become more involved in the crisis, in an effort to speed up implementation of the Gaza agreement.
He continued that the immediate priority is completing the first phase of the ceasefire before moving to the second, which envisions the national committee assuming responsibilities in Gaza and the deployment of international forces.
By contrast, Israel remains focused on procedural matters, including compiling and classifying weapons inventories, while Arab mediators are pressing for agreement on the core political issues needed to enable international forces to assume their role.
Overall, the source described Hamas’ position as positive so far but remained skeptical that Israel would fully implement the agreement without further pressure from the US.
Hamas political adviser Taher al-Nunu said in a statement Tuesday that a delegation led by Zaher Jabarin had arrived in Cairo for meetings with Egyptian officials and mediators to continue implementing the ceasefire agreement.
