Gaza ceasefire talks show rare breakthrough

Talks aimed at ending the conflict in Gaza have made rare progress, with mediators and Hamas leaders advancing discussions on the full implementation of a US-brokered peace plan during negotiations in Cairo, sources close to the talks said on Thursday.

A Hamas official and a diplomat familiar with the negotiations described the discussions as "positive" and "making progress", while cautioning that any breakthrough would depend on Israel's response and whether both sides could reach a comprehensive agreement.

The negotiations, involving mediators from Egypt, Qatar and Turkiye, are focused on the second phase of US President Donald Trump's Gaza peace plan, presented by his Board of Peace, which oversees the initiative's implementation.

The proposed plan calls for a major increase in humanitarian aid, governance by a civilian Palestinian administration, the disarmament of Hamas, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza and the deployment of an international force to help maintain security.

Previous attempts to advance the plan, however, have stalled over the past several months. A key issue remains the future of Hamas' weapons. A Hamas official said the group had come to the talks with a "positive and good" response but stopped short of confirming it had agreed to fully disarm.

Hamas has maintained that any agreement must include an Israeli commitment to end military operations in Gaza and withdraw its forces from the territory. Sources close to Hamas said the group was prepared to store its heavy weapons under the supervision of a Palestinian body rather than hand them over to Israel.