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Hamas said on Friday it was sending a delegation to Cairo to discuss reaching a ceasefire and releasing hostages in the Gaza Strip, hours after CIA Director William Burns arrived in the Egyptian capital, according to Egyptian sources.
Egypt, along with Qatar and the United States, has led efforts to broker talks between Israel and Hamas to reach an agreement on a ceasefire in the conflict that began on October 7.
Hamas and CIA officials will meet with Egyptian mediators on Saturday, an Egyptian security source said, although it was not clear whether they would meet separately or together.
Hamas said its representatives were traveling to Cairo in a "positive spirit" after studying the latest proposal for a ceasefire deal.
"We are determined to secure an agreement in a way that would meet the demands of the Palestinians," the Palestinian militant group said in a statement. The United States has declared Hamas a terrorist organization.
A US official said the United States believes there has been progress in the talks, but expects to hear more at Saturday's talks.
The CIA declined to comment, reflecting its policy not to publicize its director's travels.
Talks to reach a cease-fire agreement have continued for months without decisive progress. Israel has said it is determined to eliminate Hamas, while Hamas says it wants a permanent ceasefire and a complete Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.
Egypt made a new attempt to revive the negotiations late last month. Cairo has been alarmed by the prospect of an Israeli ground operation against Hamas in Rafah in southern Gaza, where more than 1 million people have taken refuge in the area, which is near the border with Egypt's Sinai Peninsula.
Egyptian sources say both sides have made some concessions recently, marking a breakthrough in talks to reach a ceasefire, although Israel has continued to say a military operation against Hamas in Rafah is imminent.
The war began after Hamas on October 7 carried out an attack in southern Israel that killed 1,200 people and kidnapped 253 others, according to Israeli government figures.
More than 34,000 Palestinians have been killed and more than 77,000 wounded in Israeli military operations, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip.
A major Israeli operation in Rafah could deal a severe blow to humanitarian operations in Gaza and put many more civilians at risk, according to UN officials. / VOA-Reuters
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