Senior Hamas officials are set to convene in Cairo on Sunday for talks with Egyptian intelligence chiefs and representatives of the international mediators steering the fragile ceasefire in Gaza. The meetings come as multiple actors assess whether the truce can survive another escalation and prepare for the next phase of President Donald Trump’s framework for Gaza’s future.
According to Saudi media outlets, the Hamas delegation, led by Khalil al-Hayya, arrived for discussions that had been on the calendar for days but gained urgency after a flare-up in violence over the weekend. Envoys from Egypt, Qatar and the United States are expected to brief the group on efforts to stabilize conditions ahead of the second stage of the US-backed plan, which includes the creation of the Board of Peace and preparations for an International Stabilization Force authorized under Security Council Resolution 2803.
The renewed diplomatic push follows a night of sharp exchanges between Israel and Hamas. The terror organization warned mediators that it was prepared to end the ceasefire after the IDF struck targets in Gaza. Israeli forces launched those strikes after a gunman opened fire on troops near the southern sector, an incident the IDF said clearly breached the truce. Military officials reported that the attacker had crossed the marked “yellow line” in a vehicle “exploiting the humanitarian route through which humanitarian aid enters” Gaza. Israeli troops killed the gunman, describing the shooting as a “blatant violation of the ceasefire agreement.”
Hamas authorities claim 21 Palestinians were killed in the subsequent airstrikes. A US official told The Times of Israel that the administration believes Hamas “breached the ceasefire earlier in the day” and supports Israel’s response. The official said Hamas’ outside leadership wants the truce to hold but lacks control over fighters inside Gaza.