Hamas delegation arrives in Cairo to discuss ceasefire deal 

Hamas said in a statement yesterday that a delegation of senior officials, led by Mohammed Darwish, the head of its leadership council, has arrived in the Egyptian capital, Cairo, to discuss the progress in implementing the ceasefire agreement and the three-phase prisoner exchange process.

The delegation includes leadership council members and the movement’s negotiating team, Khaled Meshaal, Khalil Al-Hayya, Zaher Jabarin, Nizar Awadallah, Mohammed Nasser and Ghazi Hamad.

According to the statement, the delegation will also meet with Palestinian prisoners freed last Saturday.

On Saturday, Al-Qassam Brigades handed over four female Israeli captives, all soldiers in the occupation army, to the International Red Cross (ICRC) in Gaza as part of the second stage of the prisoner exchange under the first phase of the ceasefire agreement. In return, Israeli authorities released 200 Palestinian prisoners.

The ceasefire in Gaza, which began on 19 January, is set to last 42 days in its first phase. During this time, negotiations will continue to pave the way for the second and third phases, with mediation efforts led by Egypt, Qatar and the United States.

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