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A Hamas delegation arrived in Cairo on Friday for negotiations following a reported U.S. proposal to the terror group, as Israel expressed satisfaction with threats from U.S. President Donald Trump and remained hopeful for progress.
A senior Israeli official said Friday afternoon that Trump’s envoy, Steve Witkoff, is not expected to visit the region at this stage. “He will come only when there are loose ends to finalize. No progress is known at this time,” the official said.
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(Photo: Alex Kolomoisky, Reuters/Stoyan Nenov, Omar al-Qattaa/ AFP, Bashar Taleb/ AFP, Carlos Osorio/AP)
The official described Washington’s direct engagement with Hamas as “a bonus without a deal,” adding that the U.S. is primarily focused on securing the release of American hostages. “If they succeed—great, let them go ahead and secure their release,” he said.
Israel is counting on both Trump’s threats and restrictions on humanitarian aid to pressure Hamas into releasing hostages, the official added. “As long as Hamas continues to refuse, we will keep imposing sanctions and punitive measures. We want to exhaust every possibility to bring back as many hostages as possible before resuming combat—because once the fighting resumes, events will unfold rapidly, and the outcome will be unpredictable.”
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He warned that the next phase of fighting would be different from previous operations. “That is why we are making every effort to retrieve as many hostages as possible before it begins. We are giving mediators and the Americans a chance to pressure Hamas into accepting some form of compromise—perhaps Witkoff’s mediation framework or any arrangement that leads to hostage releases.”
The official emphasized that Israel would not agree to an extended cease-fire without the return of its hostages.
Egyptian media reported that the Hamas delegation is expected to discuss “advancing negotiations toward the second phase” of a deal. Egyptian sources also said their country’s intensified meetings with Hamas leaders, along with talks involving the U.S. and Qatar, aim to finalize a cease-fire agreement and move to the next stage of negotiations.