A leadership source in the Palestinian Resistance Movement (Hamas) revealed today, Wednesday, that a delegation from the movement’s leadership will head to the Egyptian capital, Cairo, tomorrow, Thursday, to begin a serious round of indirect negotiations with Israel regarding reaching a deal to exchange prisoners and stop the war on Gaza.

The leadership source said that a leading delegation, headed by the head of the Hamas Political Bureau, Ismail Haniyeh, is expected to arrive in Cairo tomorrow, Thursday, to begin a round of indirect negotiations with the occupation government regarding the Paris ceasefire agreement and the prisoner exchange deal.

The same source added that the Hamas delegation will meet during the several-day visit with the head of the Egyptian General Intelligence Service, Major General Abbas Kamel, to discuss developments in the situation in Gaza.

An Egyptian source confirmed that Egyptian officials will also present to the movement’s delegation their proposals regarding the post-“suspension of war” phase in the Gaza Strip, to exchange visions with various Palestinian factions, as officials seek to unify visions regarding basic issues.

On Tuesday evening, the Hamas movement delivered its response regarding the framework agreement to the mediators in both the countries of Qatar and Egypt, after completing leadership consultations in the movement and with the resistance factions, according to an official statement issued by the movement.

Hamas said in its statement that it "dealt with the proposal in a positive spirit, ensuring a comprehensive and complete ceasefire, ending the aggression against our people, ensuring relief, shelter and reconstruction, lifting the siege on the Gaza Strip, and completing a prisoner exchange."

The Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman Al Thani, confirmed in a press conference with Blinken on Tuesday that Doha had received Hamas’ response to the truce proposal in the Gaza Strip, which was “positive and includes observations.”

Last night, the Israeli Mossad also announced that it had received Hamas’ response regarding the deal from the Qatari mediator, and said: “Hamas’ response was received by the Qatari mediator, and its details are being studied in-depth by all parties participating in the negotiations.”

In this context, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken met today, Wednesday, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in occupied West Jerusalem, at a time when Israel is examining Hamas’ response to a proposal for calm in the Gaza Strip, as the war in the Strip enters its fifth month.

A draft document of the proposal, seen by Reuters, indicated that Hamas’ proposal includes three stages, each lasting 45 days. The proposal includes the release of the remaining detainees, the start of the reconstruction of Gaza, the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces, and the exchange of bodies and remains.

The proposal crystallized at the end of January in Paris, where Qatari, Egyptian and American mediators met.