A senior Hamas delegation arrived in Cairo late on Wednesday amid efforts to monitor the ceasefire agreement and ensure it holds, local media reported.
The delegation also raised concerns over the escalating Israeli violations as well as the deteriorating humanitarian situation.
The delegation was headed by Hamas chief Khalil al-Hayya, who pushed for the advancement of the agreement.
The development comes as mediators seek to contain escalating tensions and the potential collapse of the truce, which came into effect on 10 October.
A Hamas statement said that the delegation has started intensive discussions with mediators to explore mechanisms that could be implemented in order to make Israel fulfil its obligations outlined under the truce.
The statement added that delegation plans to meet with leaders of various Palestinian factions in an effort to unify national positions regarding the current challenges, as well as in a bid to strengthen their front against political and military pressures.
Prior to their visit to Cairo, the delegation held consultations in Ankara, Turkey, where they met with the head of the Turkish intelligence, Ibrahim Kalin, and foreign minister Hakan Fidan.
In the meetings, the latest developments in Gaza and the occupied West Bank were discussed as well as the peace process. The delegation reportedly presented a detailed overview of the worsening humanitarian conditions in the enclave, which they said was directly exacerbated by Israel’s ongoing siege and the shortage of basic supplies.
Another priority discussed was Al-Aqsa, which Israel has shuttered for 35 days. Throughout the month of Ramadan, Muslim worshippers were prevented from praying at the holy site and forbidden from celebrating Eid there. Weekly congregational Friday prayers, which are deemed important to Muslims, have also come to a halt.
Hamas described the closure of one of Islam’s holiest sites as a "dangerous development" that foreshadows what it said was Israel’s attempt to implement new changes on the ground.
The group also noted that this week, the Israeli parliament passed a law mandating the execution of Palestinian detainees accused of carrying out attacks against Israelis. Disarmament plans Reports further state that Hamas informed mediators this week that they would not discuss their disarmament without first receiving guarantees of Israel’s complete withdrawal from Gaza, as the truce stipulates.
Three sources, two Egyptian officials and one Palestinian, told Reuters that the Hamas delegation met with Egyptian, Qatari, and Turkish mediators in Cairo on Wednesday and Thursday to give their initial response to the disarmament proposal sent to them last month.
The Egyptian sources said Hamas requested a set of demands and amendments to be made, including a halt to Israeli violations, the implementation of all of the truce terms and a full withdrawal of the army from the Strip.
The sources added that Hamas also requested clarity regarding what it described as Israel’s continued expansion of areas under its control.
Hamas, the sources said, will not discuss disarmament unless these issues are resolved first.
A separate source also stated that Hamas’ response meant that disarmament talks were unlikely to lead to immediate progress.
However, a Palestinian official close to the talks ruled out the possibility that Hamas will fully reject the plan, and indicated it insists first on the truce being fulfilled.
The source further added that funds for Gaza’s reconstruction, coming from several Arab Gulf states, have been disrupted with the Israeli and US war on Iran.
Since the ceasefire was agreed in October, at least 700 Palestinians have been killed by Israel and an additional 2,000 others wounded. This follows an over two-year war on the enclave which has killed over 72,000 Palestinians and wounded 172,000 others.