Hamas leader visits Egypt for cease-fire talks

Ismail Haniyeh, head of the terrorist group Hamas, traveled to Cairo on Wednesday for talks about Hamas’ conflict with Israel in the Gaza Strip. Egypt, Qatar, and the United States have recently helped mediate indirect talks between Israel and Hamas with the goal of a second cease-fire and trade for hostages. However, Hamas leaders have said that they will not release any more hostages until the war ends. The cease-fire would be the second in the war that began with Hamas attacks on Oct. 7. A weeklong pause in November led Hamas to release 100 hostages for 240 Palestinians being held by Israel. Hamas still holds an estimated 130 hostages.

Is a cease-fire possible? Hamas has said that Haniyeh would discuss the war with Egyptian officials but provided no further details. The UN Security Council, meanwhile, has been seeking U.S. support for a cease-fire resolution that would advocate for fighting to stop so humanitarian aid could reach civilians in Gaza. Over the weekend, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom joined other countries in calling for a cease-fire. In Israel, protesters have called for negotiations to release hostages. However, Israel has said that it will keep fighting until it has removed Hamas from power. 

Dig deeper: Listen to Daniel Suhr’s report on The World and Everything in It podcast about a book that provides a history of Israel-Palestine tensions before Israel’s war for independence.