CAIRO
Palestinian diplomatic sources have expressed optimism that a breakthrough about a ceasefire in the embattled Gaza Strip, which has been reeling under unrelenting Israeli attacks since July 7, is in the offering.
"The coming hours would seek a breakthrough with respect to reaching a ceasefire," one source told Anadolu Agency Monday, requesting anonymity for not being authorized to talk to the media about the ongoing discussions.
The sources did not elaborate on the nature of the "breakthrough," saying both Palestinian and Egyptian officials see eye to eye on the need to "end the Israeli aggression on Gaza and the Palestinian bloodbath."
"The Egyptian side has responded positively to the demands of the Palestinian delegation," said one source, talking part in the meetings.
A delegation representing all Palestinian groups, including Hamas, has been holding talks with Egyptian officials in Cairo on efforts to bring about a ceasefire in the blockaded Gaza Strip.
The delegation was invited to Cairo Thursday following an announcement by the U.N. and the U.S. that they had received assurances from the Palestinians and the Israelis of their readiness for a ceasefire in Gaza and dialogue in Cairo on a durable calm.
Israel, for its part, has refused to send a delegation to Cairo.
Qais Abdel-Karim, a member of the Palestinian delegation, told AA earlier that they had agreed to a ceasefire on the basis of an Israeli pullout to pre-conflict positions; a lifting of the long-running Israeli siege; allowing Gaza fishermen to work in the sea; removing the buffer zone between Israel and the Gaza Strip; freeing Palestinians recently detained by Israel; and releasing a fourth group of Palestinian detainees as earlier agreed with the Palestinian Authority.
He added that the Palestinian paper in this regard calls for Arab and international guarantees that Israel would honor the agreement and would not attack Gaza again.
Israel has been pounding the blockaded Gaza Strip – home to 1.8 million people – since July 7.
At least 1824 Palestinians, mostly civilians, have been killed and 9450 wounded in unrelenting Israeli attacks since then.
The Israeli army on Sunday confirmed that 64 troops had been killed and 400 others injured in the ongoing Gaza military operation.
Gaza-based resistance factions, meanwhile, have continued to fire rockets at Israeli cities, killing three civilians.
The offensive – codenamed "Operation Protective Edge," is the self-proclaimed Jewish state's third major offensive against the densely-populate Gaza Strip within the last six years.
www.aa.com.tr/en
