An official close to Hamas confirmed to Agence France-Presse on Thursday that the movement still wants to discuss a ceasefire in the war in the Gaza Strip, after Israel rejected its initial proposals.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Wednesday his rejection of the movement’s ceasefire proposal, describing it as “strange,” pledging to continue military action until “complete victory.”

The Palestinian official said, “The first round of indirect negotiations between Hamas and the Israeli delegation will begin Thursday in Cairo.”

According to the source, the Hamas delegation will meet with Egyptian officials, and that a Qatari delegation will join later in an attempt to bring views closer between the two parties.

He expected that “the negotiations will be very complex and difficult, but Hamas is open to discussions and is keen to reach an end to the aggression, a permanent ceasefire, and the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip.”

The official close to the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) indicated that “the two parties will hold several rounds of indirect negotiations.”

On his fifth visit to Israel since the outbreak of war on October 7, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken met with Netanyahu and high-level Israeli officials to broker a truce agreement.

The war broke out after an unprecedented attack launched by the movement against Israel, which resulted in the killing of more than 1,160 people, most of them civilians, according to a tally prepared by Agence France-Presse based on official Israeli figures.

Also, about 250 hostages were taken into custody in the attack, and Israel says that 132 of them are still in Gaza, and at least 29 of them are believed to have been killed, according to figures issued by the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office.

Israel responded to the attack with a concentrated bombing campaign followed by a massive ground attack in the Gaza Strip, resulting in the death of 27,840 people, the majority of whom were women and children, according to the latest tally of the Hamas Ministry of Health.

The Palestinian official residing in the Gaza Strip said that the first phase of the proposed truce requires a “six-week ceasefire,” during which talks will be held on the exchange of civilian prisoners of women and children who are under 18 years old.

He pointed out that “Hamas’ response, which reached Egypt and Qatar and was reviewed by the United States and other parties, included an offer to release detained Israeli children, women, the elderly, and the sick, and in return, Israel would release a number of Palestinian prisoners, which will be discussed starting today (Thursday).”

According to the official, the first phase proposal also includes allowing the entry of “400-500 trucks of food, medicine, and fuel aid daily,” amid great concerns about a humanitarian crisis in the Strip.

Also, at this stage, the agreement on the withdrawal of the Israeli army from the Gaza Strip and the return of the displaced will be discussed.