Palestinian factions prioritize ending aggression, lifting Gaza siege
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Palestinian factions meeting in Cairo stress the urgent need to halt aggression, lift the Gaza blockade, allow aid entry, and build genuine national unity to confront Israeli plots.
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A Palestinian boy crouches while people rush to collect humanitarian aid airdropped by parachutes into Gaza City, northern Gaza Strip, Thursday, Aug. 14, 2025. (AP)
The Palestinian national and Islamic forces have stressed that the top priority at this stage is an immediate and comprehensive halt to the aggression, the lifting of the blockade on the Gaza Strip, and the safe, unobstructed entry of humanitarian and relief aid without delay.
This came following a meeting in the Egyptian capital, Cairo, on Thursday, during which the factions affirmed their full readiness to engage with initiatives and proposals that meet national demands: ending the aggression, ensuring the withdrawal of the occupation forces, and lifting the blockade.
The Palestinian forces and factions warned against the Israeli settler-colonial Judaization plans in the West Bank, stressing that confronting Israeli schemes in both the West Bank and Gaza requires building genuine and serious national unity.
They also addressed the mediators’ efforts to end the aggression on Gaza and praised the international mobilization in support of the Palestinian people.
The factions called on Arab states, global friends, UN agencies, and human rights organizations to shoulder their historic and legal responsibilities toward the Palestinian people and exert pressure on the occupation to stop its crimes, as well as hold it accountable for its violations.
Hamas in Cairo for talks on new Gaza ceasefire proposal: AFP
On August 12, a Palestinian source familiar with the negotiations told AFP that “mediators are working to formulate a new comprehensive ceasefire agreement proposal” that would see all remaining captives in Gaza released “in one batch.”
The proposal could include "a 60-day truce, followed by negotiations for a long-term ceasefire, and an agreement to exchange all Israeli captives, both living and deceased, in a single batch," according to the same source.
According to al-Qahera News (also known as Cairo News Channel), a Hamas delegation led by Khalil al-Hayya has arrived in Egypt to take part in consultations on Gaza ceasefire talks.
Earlier in the day, AFP cited two sources confirming that senior Hamas figures were traveling to Cairo to meet Egyptian officials as part of mediation efforts. One source noted the visit was “at Egypt’s invitation,” adding that al-Hayya would meet officials “to discuss the latest developments in ceasefire talks and captive exchanges.”
A Hamas official separately told AFP that the group “has not received any new proposal” from the Israeli side via mediators but “remains ready to reach an agreement if Israel decides.” He stressed that Hamas is seeking “a permanent end to the war,” as well as the lifting of the Israeli siege and restrictions on aid to guarantee its smooth entry into Gaza.
Read more: Gaza war 'could have ended long ago', ex-IOF admit, urging ceasefire
