The Palestinian cease-fire delegation in Cairo has agreed to the Egyptian proposal of a 72-hour truce and will remain in Egypt until a permanent peace agreement is reached, Sky News Arabia reported Sunday quoting sources inside the delegation.
This comes after meeting held between the delegation and Egyptian intelligence head Mohamed Farid el-Tohamy Sunday morning, the state owned news agency MENA reported.
Egypt is currently brokering indirect negotiations for a cease-fire between the Palestinian factions and Israel.
The source said, “We are waiting for the Israeli response to the Egyptian request to impose a new truce.”
The delegation threatened before the meeting to end talks and leave Cairo unless the Israeli delegation agreed to the Egyptian mediation negotiations, according to Mousa Abu Marzouk, a senior delegation member, Reuters reported late Saturday.
However, Marzouk said the decision whether to leave Cairo would be determined after meeting with Egyptian mediators early Sunday.
The Palestinian delegation arrived in Cairo on Aug. 2 for indirect cease-fire negotiations, while an Israeli delegation left Cairo on Friday after a short, 9-hour visit.
At the Israeli weekly cabinet meeting held Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu indirectly refused the current negotiations, and said that Israeli would not negotiate while Hamas rockets are still being fired at Israeli cities, the Jerusalem Post reported.
“Israel will continue to act in all ways to change the current reality, to bring peace to all its citizens,” Netanyahu said.
Attacks from both Israel and Hamas resumed Saturday after the end of a 72-hour cease-fire at 0500 GMT on Friday.
Israel launched around 50 airstrikes on the Gaza Strip Saturday, killing eight Palestinians. Thirty-two Palestinian rockets were fired at Israel in the same period, BBC reported.
Since the beginning of the ongoing Israeli campaign in Gaza on July 8, 1,913 Palestinians have been killed, and tens of thousands wounded, while 63 Israelis, mostly soldiers, have been killed, according to BBC Arabic.
In order for a permanent truce, Palestinian factions have demanded an end of the Israeli blockade on Gaza, the opening of the Rafah border crossing and an expansion of the permitted fishing area, while Israel has demanded the disarmament of the Palestinian factions.
