A Hamas delegation, which includes senior official Khalil al-Hayya, is expected to arrive in Cairo on Saturday, according to Saudi channel Al-Hadath.
Israel reportedly delivered its latest response to the Egyptian proposal for a new hostage - ceasefire deal Thursday night, a senior Israeli official told Walla.
Egypt and the US are trying to form a proposal that would be acceptable to both Israel and Hamas. Israeli officials said there has been a rapprochement between Israel and Egypt. However, it is still unclear whether Hamas will accept a proposal that includes the release of more than five living hostages.
The Egyptian proposal that was conveyed to Israel a few days ago included the release of eight living hostages and a similar number of killed hostages in exchange for a 40 to 50 day ceasefire, the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, the resumption of the transfer of humanitarian aid to Gaza, and the withdrawal of IDF troops to the positions they were in before fighting resumed in Gaza in mid-March.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened the negotiating team on Thursday and approved the Israeli response to the Egyptian proposal.
After the discussion, Israel sent its response to Egypt, an Israeli senior official said, who then noted that Israel's response includes a demand for the release of over eight living hostages, fewer than the eleven Israel previously demanded.
The official added that while gaps still exist between Israel and Hamas regarding the number of Palestinian prisoners to be released for each Israeli hostage, this is a gap that can be bridged through negotiations.
Hammering out the details
"We now need to enter into real negotiations on the details of the deal. It will not be easy, and more compromises will be required from Israel, but there is a chance of reaching an agreement that will lead to the release of additional hostages," the official said.As part of the negotiations, US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff conveyed a message to Hamas through Egyptian mediators, stating that if Hamas agrees to move forward with a deal that will lead to the renewal of the ceasefire and the release of hostages, the US will guarantee that Israel will enter into serious negotiations to end the war.
The Americans also pledged to make a public statement about it if the deal goes through.
The Jerusalem Post previously reported that there has been "some movement" concerning the negotiations, and there is a higher chance of reaching a deal than before, according to Israeli officials.
This is a developing story.
Jerusalem Post Staff contributed to this report.