Senior Hamas official says delegation's arrival in Cairo 'does not mean participation in next round of talks'

The explosion occurred after an Israeli airstrike on a residential building in Nuseirat in the central Gaza Strip on July 20. The war between Israel and the Hamas Islamist movement in the Gaza Strip has been ongoing since October 2023, despite calls for a ceasefire from the international community. (Source: Reuters)

US and Israeli delegations began a new two-day round of talks in Cairo on August 22 to resolve differences over a ceasefire proposal, two Egyptian security sources said.

Speaking on August 24, senior Hamas official Izzat al-Rishq said that the force affirmed its "commitment to what was approved on July 2 based on the proposal of US President Joe Biden and is ready to implement it."

Meanwhile, another senior Hamas official, Mahmoud Mardawi, stressed that the delegation's arrival in Cairo "does not mean that Hamas will participate in the next round of negotiations".

In another related development, on the same day, August 24, Sputnik News reported that Israel asked people in more than 10 areas in the central Gaza Strip to leave their homes and move to safety.

The move is believed to be a sign of an impending attack.

Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesman Avichay Adraee posted a message on social network X: "For your own safety, leave this area immediately and move to the humanitarian zone."

Israeli mobile units regularly carry out targeted operations in major cities such as Gaza and Khan Younis.