Senior Egyptian diplomatic sources revealed that a high-level meeting is expected to take place in Turkey between representatives of Hamas’ leadership council and Egyptian and Qatari mediators, in an effort to revive the stalled Gaza ceasefire agreement and push negotiations toward implementing the second phase.
According to an Egyptian diplomat speaking to Al Jazeera Net on condition of anonymity, the meeting aims to bridge growing differences surrounding the fragile ceasefire deal, which Israel continues to violate through ongoing military attacks in the Gaza Strip.
The official said negotiations have entered a highly complicated stage amid what he described as Israeli attempts to derail mediation efforts and reject proposals presented during the latest round of talks in Cairo.
The second phase of the agreement includes key provisions such as a full Israeli military withdrawal from Gaza, discussions regarding Hamas’ weapons, and the dismantling of remaining tunnels in the enclave.
The anticipated talks come as Israeli media reports suggest negotiations over the second phase have effectively collapsed, while Israeli officials continue hinting at the possibility of resuming the war on Gaza.
Hamas Leadership Delegation
The source confirmed that Egyptian negotiators and Hamas representatives had already traveled to Turkey to participate in the discussions.
Hamas’ leadership council currently consists of five senior figures:
Mohammed Darwish
Khalil Al-Hayya
Zaher Jabarin
Khaled Meshaal
Nizar Awadallah
The council is temporarily assuming the powers traditionally held by the movement’s leader.
Deadlock in Negotiations
The expected meeting comes amid a major deadlock between Palestinian and Israeli negotiators regarding the transition to the second phase of the ceasefire agreement signed in Sharm El-Sheikh on October 10 under mediation led by U.S. President Donald Trump.
The Egyptian official revealed that Cairo recently proposed several confidence-building measures, including allowing the daily entry of 600 humanitarian aid trucks into Gaza — a clause Israel has allegedly failed to implement since the ceasefire began.
Egypt also reportedly demanded a complete ceasefire and an end to all Israeli military operations inside Gaza.
Regional Factors
Despite the current impasse, the Egyptian source linked the possibility of progress in Gaza negotiations to a potential agreement between the United States and Iran, which he believes could ease tensions across the region.
The official expressed optimism that mediation efforts in Turkey, combined with possible progress in U.S.-Iran talks, may help unlock the crisis within days.
President Donald Trump said Wednesday that negotiations with Tehran had made “significant progress,” adding that Iran strongly seeks an agreement with Washington.
According to the Egyptian diplomat, resolving tensions with Iran could shift Washington’s focus back toward Gaza negotiations after months of prioritizing the Iranian .
New Mediation Proposals
Another source told Al Jazeera Net that an Egyptian security delegation accompanied Hamas negotiators from Cairo to Turkey to meet the movement’s full leadership council and discuss new proposals aimed at narrowing disagreements.
A Hamas official also confirmed that mediators recently introduced updated proposals following discussions held in Cairo with Nikolay Mladenov, Executive Director of the Gaza Peace Council.
The official said Israel had rejected three mediation proposals intended to pave the way for implementing the second phase of the agreement.
According to the source, Mladenov returned from meetings with Israeli officials carrying a single Israeli condition: Hamas must disarm before the second phase can begin.
The proposals reportedly included:
Israeli troop withdrawals from newly occupied areas in Gaza
The entry of 600 aid trucks per day
A full ceasefire and an end to targeted assassinations
The Hamas official also accused Israel of attempting to sabotage negotiations through the alleged assassination attempt targeting Azzam, the son of senior Hamas leader Khalil Al-Hayya, who currently heads the movement’s negotiating delegation.
Continued Violations
Last Tuesday, Nikolay Mladenov met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Tel Aviv to discuss the stalled ceasefire implementation amid repeated Israeli violations.
Israeli Army Radio reported earlier that Mladenov planned to request increased humanitarian aid access to Gaza and a reduction in Israeli military operations.
Since the ceasefire officially took effect on October 10,
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 Israel has continued military operations in Gaza while refusing to fully reopen border crossings or allow agreed quantities of humanitarian, medical, and relief supplies into the territory.
Hamas recently called on international mediators and the United Nations to pressure Israel into committing to the ceasefire after an Israeli strike targeted a police center in Gaza, killing a child and injuring several Palestinians.