A source from the team of Board of Peace envoy Nickolay Mladenov and another from Hamas said there were “positive” signs toward completing implementation of the fragile ceasefire agreement in Gaza, announced last October.
The two sources spoke separately to Asharq Al-Awsat about the mood around meetings Mladenov held in Cairo with a Hamas delegation and representatives of the mediator states, Egypt, Qatar, and Türkiye.
The talks aimed to advance US President Donald Trump’s Gaza plan, which the UN Security Council adopted in a resolution last November.
The source from Mladenov’s team said the meeting with Hamas had ended with “very positive” results and that gaps had been bridged on all provisions of the road map, referring to the first version presented by Mladenov.
The source said Hamas told Mladenov it would respond to the proposals after internal consultations, before the middle of next week.
New amendments from Mladenov
Asharq Al-Awsat learned from factional sources and others close to the Cairo talks that Mladenov made new amendments before his meetings, in light of the latest response from Hamas and the Palestinian factions, which the mediators received days ago.
Indirect talks between Israel on one side and Hamas and the factions on the other had been stalled over moving to new stages of the ceasefire agreement, which Israel has repeatedly breached. Israel has killed nearly 1,000 Palestinians since then.
The Palestinian side insists on implementing the requirements of the first phase, including the withdrawal of the Israeli army from the territory it occupies and the entry of aid and goods into the enclave. Israel, meanwhile, is pressing for the disarmament of the factions, the most prominent item in the second phase.
A Hamas source told Asharq Al-Awsat that the Egyptian mediator delivered the amended wording to the movement’s leadership in Cairo after midnight Tuesday into Wednesday. The leadership has been in the Egyptian capital for about 10 days.
Hamas meeting with Mladenov
According to the same source, the Hamas delegation met Mladenov in Cairo on Wednesday afternoon to explain the importance of the amendments made to the road map and try to speed up the movement’s response. The source said the amendments would be discussed with the Palestinian factions before a reply is given.
Later Wednesday, after the source’s comments, Hamas announced it had met Mladenov. In a statement, it said discussions with the mediators had produced “broad understandings” and that Tuesday had seen “significant convergence” toward ensuring implementation of what remains of the first phase, alongside discussion of second-phase files.
Hamas said it discussed the entry of the “national committee” into Gaza, international forces and the handling of Palestinian weapons “within a logical and reasonable approach acceptable to all parties.”
A source from a Palestinian faction in Cairo confirmed that Hamas had notified them of the meeting with Mladenov and of comments that would be presented to the factions later in the day.
A source from Mladenov’s team said the meeting was held as a procedural step to brief Hamas on the amendments required for approval.
The source said, “These amendments were made in coordination with US envoy Jared Kushner and the mediators, with the aim of narrowing the gap between the Palestinian and Israeli positions in a way that allows negotiations to move forward.”
The source said amendments had been made to all 15 provisions of the road map, not only Article 8 on weapons, “where it can be said that the gaps have been fully closed.”
Article 8 focuses on how to carry out a gradual process to inventory and store weapons in Gaza. Hamas has insisted that this be done under the supervision and custody of a Palestinian party and in parallel with Israel’s withdrawal from the areas it occupies in Gaza, which account for more than 60% of the enclave.
Last month, public differences between Hamas and Mladenov were sharp, and a meeting between the two sides had been considered unlikely.
But the sources said, “positive developments during the Cairo meetings pushed toward this meeting, with the support of the mediators.”
Mediators, the US want to push the agreement forward
The Hamas source said the movement received assurances from the mediators on Tuesday evening that “the atmosphere is positive, and that there are some comments from the Board of Peace representative, which require more time.”
The source said, “The mediators want to accelerate reaching an agreement, and representatives of most of the factions taking part in the meetings therefore remained in place to settle the matter more quickly.”
The source assessed that “there is a strong desire among the mediators, Mladenov and the US administration to push toward an agreement as quickly as possible, in a way that would bring stability to the entire region.” The source added that “there are moves and Arab support from other countries with no direct role in the mediation to advance an agreement that would fully end the war on Gaza.”
From midday Tuesday until this report was prepared at midday Wednesday, Gaza time, the Gaza Strip saw noticeable calm on the ground, with no new casualties recorded.
Asharq Al-Awsat asked the source from Mladenov’s team whether arrangements had been made between the Board of Peace representative and Israel to halt strikes on the enclave. The source said the Israelis “gave us 48 hours of calm.”
