While the delegations of Hamas and Israel left Cairo yesterday, after two days of negotiations without reaching a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip through Qatari-Egyptian mediation with American participation, CIA Director William Burns returned from Tel Aviv to Cairo, where negotiations continue with the Egyptian and Qatari mediators.

A senior Egyptian source told Al-Quds.com: “Cairo is working with all its might around the clock to push forward the efforts of the mediators, which have not stopped, despite the return of the Israeli delegation and the Hamas movement,” adding that the differences are not large and we are close to reaching an agreement between the two parties. But there has been no significant progress on the ground.

The Egyptian source confirmed that the negotiations did not fail despite their difficulty, the complexities of the scene associated with them, and the nature of the day after reaching an agreement on both sides.

He said: "The delegations left Cairo for consultations in Doha and Tel Aviv, following negotiations that were dominated by much discussion of the details. In the absence of trust between the two sides, it is difficult to bridge the gap and controversial points that remain unresolved."

He added: "Egypt's goal is to reach a 'comprehensive truce' in the Gaza Strip without considering the Israeli request, excluding Rafah Governorate and its crossing, which was occupied on the Egyptian border. He added that Rafah was the last refuge for more than 1.4 million Palestinians and cannot be excluded from the truce."

Yesterday, the Israeli Broadcasting Corporation (“Kan 11”) quoted sources it described as “informed” that talks in Cairo revealed “unbridgeable gaps” between the two parties.

It added that the political-security ministerial council (the expanded cabinet) will meet today to determine how to move forward in the negotiations led by the mediators, while Israel threatens to invade the city of Rafah after demanding the residents of the eastern neighborhoods of the city to evacuate it and take control of the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing. The Council of Ministers will decide whether or not to continue the talks.

The source explained that the efforts of Egypt and the mediators are continuing to bring the viewpoints of the two parties closer together, especially in light of the recent developments in the Gaza Strip.

The channel said that CIA Director William Burns also left Cairo, returning to Washington. The Qatari delegation also left to return to Doha.

A senior political official told Kan TV that Israel had made reservations about Hamas' proposal. Stressing that Israel will continue its military operations in Rafah and the Gaza Strip as planned.

A member of the Hamas political bureau, Izzat Al-Rishq, said that the movement’s delegation left Cairo to return to Doha. Al-Rishq stressed that “Israel’s invasion of Rafah and occupation of the crossing aims to block the efforts of the mediators and escalate the aggression and war of extermination.”

The Hamas leader stressed his movement's commitment to "approving the paper presented by the mediators," referring to the paper that was presented to the movement and approved last Monday.

In response, the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced the day before yesterday that Hamas’ response was “far from Israel’s requirements,” stressing that the War Council unanimously agreed to continue the military operation in Rafah to exert military pressure on Hamas in order to release the hostages and achieve other war goals.