GAZA, April 2 (Xinhua) -- Hamas said Thursday that a delegation led by Khalil al-Hayya, the movement's leader in Gaza, held talks in the Egyptian capital, Cairo, to follow up on the implementation of the ceasefire agreement in Gaza.
In a press statement, Hamas said that the delegation, arriving in Cairo on Wednesday evening, held immediate meetings with mediators from Egypt, Qatar, and Türkiye, and will also meet with leaders and officials of other Palestinian factions.
Al-Hayya also held separate meetings with Türkiye's National Intelligence Organization Director Ibrahim Kalin and Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan in the Turkish capital, Ankara, over the past two days. They discussed developments in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, Israeli violations of the ceasefire, the situation in Jerusalem and the al-Aqsa Mosque, and a new Israeli law that allows the execution of Palestinian prisoners, according to the statement.
Passed by the Israeli parliament on Monday, this legislation applies the death penalty to Palestinians convicted of killing Israelis with the intent to harm the state, but not to Israelis who kill Palestinians, drawing widespread criticism.
A ceasefire between Hamas and Israel in the Gaza Strip took effect on Oct. 10, 2025. Its first phase included prisoner and detainee exchange, humanitarian aid entry into the Strip, and an Israeli withdrawal from some areas.
In January, the United States announced the start of the second phase of its proposed peace plan, which includes a complete Israeli military withdrawal from Gaza, the disarmament of Hamas, the commencement of reconstruction efforts, and the establishment of a transitional governing body in the Strip. ■
