Gaza cease-fire appears unlikely before Ramadan

Palestinian militant group Hamas said its delegation left Cairo on Thursday during ongoing negotiations for a temporary cease-fire with Israel, making it unlikely a deal will be reached before the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. 

“A delegation from Hamas left Cairo today to consult with the movement’s leadership, with negotiations and efforts continuing to stop the aggression, return the displaced, and introduce relief aid to our Palestinian people,” Hamas wrote in a statement provided by a pro-Iranian news network. 

Their departure from Cairo comes after weeks of cease-fire talks, as mediators looked to secure a deal ahead of the start of Ramadan, which will begin either Sunday or Monday depending on the sighting of the moon. The Muslim holy month is marked by dawn-to-dusk fasting, increased prayer and nightly gatherings with loved ones. 

Hamas spokesperson Jihad Taha claimed Israel “refuses to commit to and give guarantees regarding the cease-fire, the return of the displaced, and withdrawal from the areas of its incursion,” per The Associated Press.

Taha also said talks are ongoing and will resume next week, the AP added. 

Israel reportedly agreed to the framework of the cease-fire proposal last weekend. If accepted by Hamas, the deal would see a six-week cease-fire and the release of hostages being held by Hamas that are considered at risk. It would also allow for greater flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza, which has been devastated by Israel’s military operations. 

Israel, Hamas and mediators from the U.S., Egypt and Qatar, are facing mounting pressure to broker a deal, as the civilian death toll in Gaza continues to climb amid the violence and the hostages surpass their fourth month in Hamas’s captivity. 

More than 30,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since early October, and hundreds of thousands of others have been driven from their homes as Israel attempts to eliminate Hamas after the group’s attack on Oct. 7 that killed more than 1,200 people in southern Israel. 

Hamas, a U.S.-designated terrorist group that has ruled the Gaza Strip since 2007, is believed to have taken about 240 people hostage during the Oct. 7 assault. About 100 of the hostages were released in a week-long cease-fire last December. 

Israel’s ground and air military operations have largely leveled much of Gaza, including many of its hospitals and refugee areas, and humanitarian organizations have repeatedly warned of a collapse of the enclave’s resources. 

Egyptian officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity with The AP, said Hamas agreed to the main terms of the agreement, but is seeking assurances that it will lead to a more permanent cease-fire. Israel is looking to keep the negotiations to a more limited deal, the officials told the AP. 

Hamas maintains it will not release all the remaining hostages until Israel fully withdraws from the territory, and is requesting the release of several prisoners in exchange, the newswire added. 

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected Hamas’s demand to withdraw from the enclave, claiming any departure would be a victory for the militant group. He has vowed to push forward with military operations after a cease-fire to ensure “total victory” in the region. 

The Associated Press contributed.