Progress has been made in discussions in Cairo on a truce in the Gaza conflict and there is agreement on the basic points between all parties involved, Reuters reported on Sunday night, citing an Egyptian source who spoke to Egypt's Al-Qahera News.
There was no immediate comment from Hamas and none of the parties to the Cairo talks has confirmed the Al-Qahera report.
The report further said that Hamas and Qatar's delegations left Cairo and will return within two days to agree on the terms of the final agreement, while the Israeli and the US. delegations will leave the Egyptian capital within a few hours. It added that consultations were ongoing during the next 48 hours.
Earlier on Sunday night, Hamas said that a delegation on its behalf has arrived in Cairo to meet with Egyptian intelligence chief Abbas Kamel.
Hamas reiterated demands they have made previously in March, including the demand for a permanent ceasefire, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, a return of the displaced, and an exchange of Palestinian Arab prisoners for Israeli hostages being held in Gaza.
On Friday, CNN reported that Hamas had rejected the most recent Israeli proposal for a hostage release deal.
“They refused and asserted it doesn’t include any reply to their asks,” a diplomat told the channel. Hamas believes “that Israeli proposal includes nothing new so they see no need to change their proposal,” the official told CNN.
Later in the day it was reported that US President Joe Biden had written to the leaders of Egypt and Qatar, calling on them to press Hamas for a hostage deal with Israel.
Last week, a senior diplomatic official in Israel expressed optimism that a deal to return the hostages held by Hamas is possible in the near future.
"If Hamas is interested in a deal - we can move forward. We have come a long way this time as well, there is potential for progress in the coming days," said the source.