A high-level Hamas delegation, led by senior negotiator Khalil Al-Hayya, departed for Cairo on Tuesday to engage in talks with Egyptian officials over a potential ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. The discussions come amid escalating violence and a mounting humanitarian crisis, with at least 26 Palestinians reportedly killed in a fresh wave of Israeli airstrikes.
The delegation is expected to review “new ideas” aimed at securing a cessation of hostilities. This diplomatic push follows Hamas’s recent rejection of Israel’s latest ceasefire and hostage-release proposal. Despite repeated international efforts, talks have yet to yield a breakthrough since Israel resumed its military offensive on March 18, effectively ending a two-month truce brokered by Qatar, Egypt, and the United States.
U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee has urged Hamas to accept a deal that would enable the release of hostages in exchange for a surge in humanitarian aid. In a statement, Huckabee emphasized the urgency of freeing the hostages while ensuring that aid reaches civilians without interference from Hamas an accusation the group denies.
Philippe Lazzarini, head of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), painted a grim picture of the humanitarian situation in Gaza. “Hunger is spreading and deepening, deliberate and manmade,” Lazzarini said, describing the use of aid as a “bargaining chip and a weapon of war.”
The Israeli military stated that its latest strikes targeted around 40 engineering vehicles allegedly used by Hamas for militant activities. Gaza’s civil defence officials reported extensive destruction, including in Khan Yunis and Jabalia, where homes and municipal rescue equipment were hit.
Since the war reignited in March, over 1,890 Palestinians have been killed, pushing the overall death toll in Gaza to more than 51,000, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. Israel’s 2023 military response was triggered by a deadly Hamas attack that left 1,218 Israelis dead and saw 251 hostages taken 58 of whom remain in Gaza, with 34 believed to be dead.
Despite ongoing violence, hopes rest on the Cairo talks to open a path toward renewed dialogue and relief for the war-torn enclave.
