Hamas official says delegation left Cairo after meeting truce mediators

A Hamas official said on Sunday the group's delegation left Cairo after meeting with Egyptian and Qatari mediators trying to negotiate a ceasefire in the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip.

"The Hamas delegation left Cairo tonight, after meeting with Egyptian and Qatari mediators who briefed them on the results of the latest negotiations," Izzat al-Rishq, said in a statement.

Diplomatic efforts to reach a Gaza ceasefire and avert a wider war intensified following the killings of two senior Iran-backed militants last month that sparked threats of reprisals from Tehran and its allies, who blamed Israel.

The basis of the talks has been a framework that US President Joe Biden outlined in late May, which he described as an Israeli proposal.

"Hamas reiterates its readiness to implement" the Biden plan, Rishq said on Sunday.

While the United States, which is also acting as a mediator, said Friday that progress had been made during the latest round of Gaza talks, previous optimism during the months-long negotiations has proved unfounded.

Hamas had earlier said a delegation would go to Cairo, but only to meet with mediators rather than participate in the discussions.

On Sunday, Rishq reiterated several of Hamas's long-standing demands for any ceasefire agreement, in particular the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.