CAIRO, Oct. 19 — Egypt pressed Hamas on Sunday to agree to a post-war security plan in Gaza as a senior delegation from the group held talks in Cairo on consolidating a fragile ceasefire, Egyptian sources said.
During the meeting with the delegation led by senior Hamas leader Khalil al-Hayya, Egyptian officials urged the group to establish a mechanism for handing over weapons and to withdraw from Gaza’s security and political scene, the sources told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.
Under Egypt’s proposal, about 1,000 Palestinian Authority (PA) police officers would be deployed in Gaza, with the force potentially expanding later with Israeli approval.
The PA force would work alongside an international security contingent expected to be supervised by Egypt, the sources said.
Cairo sees the security handover as a key step toward launching the second phase of the ceasefire agreement, which it is discussing directly with Hamas without Israeli participation, the sources added.
As renewed clashes erupted in Gaza on Sunday, Egypt also urged Israel to halt military operations, recommit to the truce, and reopen all crossings to allow the flow of humanitarian aid.
Israel, for its part, has demanded the return of the bodies of Israeli hostages, while Hamas asked mediators to persuade Israel to allow excavation equipment into Gaza to help locate remains, according to the sources.
The Israeli military said on Sunday evening it had resumed implementation of the ceasefire after carrying out “a series of significant airstrikes in response to Hamas’ violations.”
Earlier in the day, the army said two soldiers were killed in a Hamas attack in Rafah, where militants fired an anti-tank missile and opened fire on troops dismantling infrastructure.
Hamas denied involvement. Gaza’s health authorities said at least 44 Palestinians were killed in the Israeli strikes. The ceasefire, brokered by Egypt, Qatar, and Türkiye with U.S. backing, took effect on Oct. 10.
It calls for both sides to halt hostilities, exchange prisoners, withdraw Israeli forces from parts of Gaza, and allow humanitarian aid and fuel deliveries. Despite the accord, both Israel and Hamas have accused each other of violating the truce. (Xinhua)
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