Gaza ceasefire talks continue in Cairo as disarmament dispute blocks breakthrough

Hamas says discussions with mediators on implementing the US-brokered Gaza ceasefire agreement are continuing in Cairo, according to a statement from Hamas political bureau member Husam Badran reported by Middle East Eye.

Badran said the meetings were taking place in a “positive and responsible spirit” and were aimed at ensuring the success of the current round of talks, protecting Palestinians and thwarting Israel’s objectives and plans. Middle East Eye also reports that Israeli attacks on Gaza have continued despite the ceasefire, citing Gaza’s health ministry as saying at least 981 Palestinians have been killed since the agreement came into effect in mid-October.

The ceasefire framework dates to October 2025. The supplied Wikipedia excerpt says the Gaza peace plan was drafted on September 29, signed on October 9 and became effective on October 10, with the United States, Qatar, Turkey and Egypt listed as mediators and Israel and Hamas as parties. It describes the plan as connected to ending the Gaza war, the hostage crisis, reconstruction and the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.

The hardest issues remain unresolved. The BBC reported in May that talks between Israel and Hamas had stalled and that Gaza risked sliding back into war. It said Palestinian sources confirmed a deadlock, while Israeli media suggested Israel was preparing to resume fighting because of the impasse and Hamas’s refusal to give up its weapons.

Israel and Hamas accuse each other of violating the October ceasefire deal, according to the BBC. Israel says Hamas’s approach to disarmament breaches the agreement. Hamas says Israel is violating the deal by failing to meet humanitarian commitments and continuing deadly attacks.

The Cairo track now sits inside that same dispute. The Times of Israel reports that Hamas participated in disarmament talks in Cairo this week and that some progress was made, but officials familiar with the matter said mediators did not expect a breakthrough before Israeli elections in the fall.

The same report says Egypt, Qatar and Turkey, operating under the US-led Board of Peace, faced an uphill battle from the start because disarming Hamas and withdrawing Israeli troops from Gaza appeared to be nonstarters for the two sides. It also says diplomats fear Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu could renew the war as campaigning increases, while a US official argued Israel could be brought on board if Hamas first agreed to disarm.

The operating stakes go beyond the negotiating room. Any second-phase arrangement would affect whether aid can move more reliably, whether reconstruction money can be planned, whether displaced people can return to safer shelter, and whether Egypt, Qatar and Turkey can keep the ceasefire architecture intact.

What remains uncertain is whether the current Cairo talks can move beyond implementation language into enforceable commitments on weapons, troop positions, governance and humanitarian access. The supplied sources verify continuing talks, mediator involvement, disarmament pressure and low expectations for a quick breakthrough; they do not verify a final second-phase deal.

The confirmed picture is one of diplomatic motion without settled enforcement. Cairo remains active, mediators are pressing, and the ceasefire still depends on questions neither side has yet accepted in full.