Hamas on Cairo negotiations: the ball is in Israel’s court

A senior Hamas official, who did not want to be named, told the news agency (AWP) on Monday that ongoing talks in Cairo on a possible ceasefire in the Gaza Strip are “positive” and stressed that the ball is in Israel’s court.

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This member of the Palestinian resistance group announced that due to the danger of “overcrowding”, he does not intend to press for the immediate return of Palestinians to the northern part of the Strip. Instead, they propose a gradual return of more than 500 families a day, facilitated by the Red Cross and the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA).

Earlier, a senior Hamas official said that if the Zionist regime accepts Palestinian demands in the ongoing negotiations, a ceasefire in Gaza may be established “within 24 to 48 hours”.

A senior US government official claimed late on Saturday that Tel Aviv has “more or less” accepted the offer of a six-week ceasefire in Gaza and the release of vulnerable prisoners, and now everyone is waiting for Hamas’ response.

While international negotiators are trying to reach a definitive agreement before the start of the holy month of Ramadan on March 10, talks with Egyptian and Qatari mediators will be held on Sunday with the Hamas delegation.