With the war in Gaza exceeding its 200-day mark, the Israeli war cabinet met late Thursday (Apr. 25) to discuss hostage deal negotiations ahead of a planned Israeli military operation in Rafah, where much of Gaza's population has been displaced.
According to an Israeli official who spoke with the Washington Post on the condition of anonymity, an Egyptian would travel to Israel Friday (Apr. 26) to discuss "security coordination" following deliberations.
It could be recalled that ceasefire negotiations mediated by Qatar, Egypt, and the United States have stalled multiple times in the past few months.
Meanwhile, The Times of Israel reported that the war cabinet was willing to reduce the number of hostages Hamas should release in exchange for a ceasefire from 40 to 20, as long as they were women, men over 50, and those who were seriously ill.
Earlier this week, the Associated Press interviewed top Hamas official Khalil al-Hayya, who said that the group is considering disarming itself and transitioning into a political party only if an independent Palestinian state would be established along its pre-1967 borders as part of a two-state solution.
It remains to be seen if the Israeli government tackled or dismissed al-Hayya's offer.
The Post also reported that the Biden administration also attempted to initiate the talks, with CIA director William J. Burns flying between Paris, Cairo, Doha, and Tel Aviv.
Last November, a seven-day truce allowed for the exchange of Hamas hostages and Palestinian prisoners in Israel.
