Israel, Hamas signal openness to ceasefire talks

Israel has said its spy chief will attend Gaza ceasefire talks and Hamas vowed to stop fighting if a truce is reached, as long-stalled efforts to end the war appeared to gain momentum.
Previous bids to stop the year-long war have failed, though the US has voiced hope the killing of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar last week could serve as an opening for a deal.
A senior Hamas official said that a delegation from the group’s Doha-based leadership discussed “ideas and proposals” related to a Gaza truce with Egyptian officials in Cairo on Thursday.
“Hamas has expressed readiness to stop the fighting, but Israel must commit to a ceasefire, withdraw from the Gaza Strip, allow the return of displaced people, agree to a serious prisoner ­exchange deal and allow the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza,” the official said.
The talks in Cairo were part of Egypt’s ongoing efforts to resume ceasefire negotiations, he added.
Blinken expects Gaza ceasefire negotiators to meet ‘in coming days’
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he welcomed Egypt’s readiness to reach a deal “for the release of the hostages” still held by militants in Gaza.
After the Cairo meeting, Mr Netanyahu directed the head of Israel’s Mossad spy agency to leave for key mediator Qatar on Sunday to “advance a series of initiatives that are on the agenda”, the Prime Minister’s office said.
Earlier, the US and Qatar said Gaza ceasefire talks would resume in the Qatari capital.
During a week-long ceasefire in late November, 105 Israeli and foreign hostages were freed in ­exchange for 240 Palestinians held in Israeli jails.
Israeli and US officials as well as some analysts said Sinwar had been a key obstacle to a deal allowing for the release of 97 hostages still held in Gaza, 34 of whom the Israeli military says are dead.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Qatar’s leaders in Doha on Thursday on his 11th trip to the region since October 7 last year. Mr Blinken said mediators would explore new options. He said they were seeking a plan “so that Israel can withdraw, so that Hamas cannot reconstitute, and so that the Palestinian people can rebuild their lives and rebuild their futures”.
Qatar said US and Israeli teams would fly to Doha, with Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani adding that Qatari mediators had “re-engaged” with Hamas since Sinwar’s death.
AFP