Israel delegation no show at Cairo talks, Hamas says no to detainee information without ‘reciprocity’

Talks toward a ceasefire in the months-long brutal assault on Gaza resumed yesterday in Cairo, amid heightened expectation that there would be a temporary halt in the Israeli aggression that has displaced most of Gaza’s population, killed over 30,500 Palestinians and induced starvation before Ramadan begins next week.

A Hamas delegation arrived in Cairo for the talks mediated by Qatar, Egypt and the United States,  according to Reuters.

However, Israeli media outlets reported that Tel Aviv withheld its delegation after Hamas refused its demand for a full list of prisoners in Gaza that are still alive.

The discussions in Cairo came after the US proposed a framework for the truce deal. Per the terms of the proposal, there would be a 40-day pause to the aggression, including a halt in Israeli aerial reconnaissance operations for eight hours a day.

There are also provisions for a prisoner exchange deal. For each Israeli prisoner released, the Occupation will agree to a day of truce, making it possible to reach a six-week truce in the first phase of the deal. And for each Israeli released from Gaza, 10 Palestinian prisoners will be released in exchange. That number would increase for each female Occupation soldier released.

All Israeli military forces would be obligated to retreat from densely populated areas across the strip.

The Occupation would subsequently allow for the initial and limited return of over 1 million Palestinians forcibly displaced to Rafah, next to the Egyptian border, to the north of the Gaza Strip, as Israel continues to insist that it will mount an offensive in Rafah. 

Finally, the framework agreement makes provision for a significant increase in the scope of humanitarian aid entering Gaza.

Speaking on Sunday, a source within Hamas told Mada Masr on condition of anonymity that the group responded to Israel's request for a list of prisoners by stating that they "will not provide any information without reciprocity."

The US-proposed framework agreement “did not address the requirement to disclose information about the detainees' conditions,” the source says, calling the Occupation’s request for such information an attempt to hinder the deal.

The source suggested that a temporary ceasefire lasting 40 days may be reached soon, nonetheless, in which Israel would release ten Palestinian prisoners daily in exchange for each Israeli prisoner taken during the October 7 incursion into Israel-held territory.

Hamas remains committed to the Cairo talks, the source emphasized, setting “the start of Ramadan as a final deadline to reach a deal with the Israeli side.”

Despite mounting pressure on Hamas to accept a deal that “does not meet their conditions,” the source said that they are “unwilling to compromise in the face of Israel’s intransigence.”

Several issues remain unresolved in the Hamas-Israel talks, notably “the return of displaced persons to northern Gaza,” according to the source.

Israel is “stalling” and imposing "unreasonable conditions,” the source added, including refusing to allow the return of military-aged individuals and only allowing the transfer of children and women to the north in the first phase of the deal. They have also refused to address the return of the displaced people in Gaza City to the north.

The source said that Israel is putting "tough choices on the table" as it has not yet committed “to halting hostilities in the strip in exchange for the resistance handing over detainees.” Instead, Israel proposes a temporary ceasefire for a few hours a day, which Hamas deems ineffective, according to the source. 

Despite Israeli attempts to pressure negotiations by "starving the people of Gaza," progress has been made in aid delivery, the source said.

Meanwhile, Israeli War Cabinet member Benny Gantz traveled to Washington on Sunday for meetings with US Vice President Kamala Harris and Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday. A day prior to their scheduled meeting, Harris called for an immediate ceasefire and increased aid entry to the strip in the sharpest rebuke from the US government to date, urging Hamas at the same time to accept releasing prisoners in return for a six-week truce.

“People in Gaza are starving. The conditions are inhumane and our common humanity compels us to act,” Harris said.