Hamas Official-'No Progress' Made Yet In Ceasefire Talks

Reuters reporting comments from an unnamed Hamas official claiming that "no progress has yet been made" in the ceasefire talks that are taking place in Cairo. The comments come in contrast to those made by a senior Egyptian official earlier on 8 Apr claiming that there had been some movement towards a ceasefire agreement.

• Reuters: "... the Hamas and Qatar delegations left Cairo and will return within two days to agree on the terms of a final agreement, while the Israel and U.S. delegations will leave within a few hours. It added that consultations will continue in the next 48 hours."
• There remains significant focus on the prospect of a ceasefire following the more hard-line stance taken by US President Joe Biden towards Israel's conduct in the war following the killing of seven humanitarian aid workers in an IDF operation, as well as the IDF's withdrawal from southern Gaza including the city of Khan Younis.
• It should be noted that the IDF has said the withdrawal of troops is a tactical move, with the implication that its focus will eventually turn to an operation in the city of Rafah. Israel's allies have strongly warned against any assault on Rafah, with over 1mn displaced Palestinians in and around the city. However, Israel argues that Hamas has significant operations in Rafah, making an operation crucial to defeating them.