A senior Hamas delegation arrived in Cairo on Friday to discuss extending the fragile ceasefire in Gaza, which has significantly reduced hostilities with Israel, according to two high-ranking Hamas officials.
The delegation is scheduled to meet Egyptian mediators on Saturday to review the ceasefire’s progress and discuss the next phase of the agreement. Hamas intends to push for Israel to uphold its commitments, initiate talks for the second phase, and reopen border crossings to facilitate humanitarian aid into Gaza.
One Hamas official emphasized that the group seeks a “comprehensive agreement that ensures a permanent and complete ceasefire.”
Meanwhile, Israeli forces have launched a series of attacks on mosques in the occupied West Bank, particularly in Nablus and the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron. These incidents occurred as Palestinian Muslims marked the first Friday of Ramadan.
In East Jerusalem, Israel has imposed entry restrictions on worshippers at Al-Aqsa Mosque, allowing only specific age groups from the occupied West Bank to enter for Friday prayers. Men over 55, women over 50, and children under 12 are permitted access, but only after passing through security screenings and multiple checkpoints.