Three major Palestinian factions—Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine—announced on Saturday that a ceasefire agreement with Israel in the Gaza Strip is now closer than ever, provided Israel refrains from imposing new conditions. The factions made the statement following a key meeting in Cairo, where they discussed the ongoing conflict and prospects for a truce.
In the statement, Hamas emphasized that the likelihood of reaching a ceasefire deal is now greater, provided Israel halts its demands for additional conditions. “The possibility of reaching an agreement is closer than ever if the enemy stops setting new conditions,” the statement read, stressing that the primary goal is to end the war and the suffering of the Palestinian people.
This development came after an extensive meeting held on Friday evening between the leaders of the three factions and Hassan Rashad, the head of Egypt’s General Intelligence Service. On Saturday, an Israeli security delegation arrived in Cairo to continue discussions aimed at finalizing the truce agreement. The meeting followed recent high-level Egyptian talks with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, who was in Cairo to attend the G8 summit for economic cooperation. These talks sought to persuade Abbas to reconsider his opposition to the formation of a community support committee for the ceasefire.
Meanwhile, the Gaza Ministry of Health reported three new massacres by Israeli forces in the past 24 hours, resulting in 21 deaths and 61 injuries. The death toll from the ongoing Israeli aggression, which began on October 7, 2023, has now reached 45,227, with over 107,573 people injured. The ministry issued an urgent appeal to the international community for humanitarian aid, including medicine and food supplies for Kamal Adwan Hospital, which has been severely affected by ongoing shelling. Despite this, Israel has continued to target medical facilities, violating international law and humanitarian conventions.
On the ground in Gaza, Palestinian fighters from Hamas’s military wing, the Al-Qassam Brigades, reported successful attacks against Israeli forces in the Jabalia camp, located in northern Gaza. According to the brigades, their fighters threw Israeli-made hand grenades at a group of soldiers next to an armored personnel carrier, causing casualties. In a separate incident, they claimed to have killed three Israeli soldiers by stabbing them and seizing their weapons before storming a nearby house where Israeli forces had taken refuge.
The Al-Quds Brigades, the military wing of the Islamic Jihad movement, also reported ongoing clashes with Israeli soldiers in the Jabalia area, with the fighters engaging in intense combat using various weapons.
As the situation remains tense, the international community continues to watch closely for any signs of a breakthrough in the negotiations for a ceasefire. The Palestinian factions are hoping that a resolution will bring an end to the ongoing violence and humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
