Hamas delegation joins mediators in Cairo for Gaza ceasefire talks

CAIRO: A Hamas delegation has joined mediators from Qatar and the US in the Egyptian capital Cairo to negotiate a ceasefire in Gaza. Israel has signaled a six-week ceasefire at the start of Ramadan. The US said on Sunday that Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners would be released during a six-week ceasefire, the BBC reported. The BBC quoted Hamas as saying that an agreement on a ceasefire could be reached within the next 24 to 48 hours.
Pressure on Israel for a ceasefire has increased after more than 100 Palestinians were killed on February 29 while distributing relief material outside Gaza City. Hamas has accused Israeli forces of shooting at civilians, although Israel has denied this. On Sunday, Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said, “Our preliminary investigation makes it clear that the IDF did not fire on civilians.”
“The majority of Palestinians were killed or injured as a result of the stampede,” Hagari said. He said, “Preliminary investigation into the incident has revealed that Israeli soldiers fired warning shots to disperse the crowd, and when the army started retreating, the crowd attacked them.” Hagari said that after this the soldiers retaliated in a limited manner. According to the IDF, locals surrounded trucks on Al-Rashid Street and looted goods. During this, many Palestinians were crushed under trucks. The Hamas-run health ministry said 104 people died and 280 were injured in the incident.