The war began on October 7, with Hamas launching an unprecedented attack on southern Israel (file photo)

Cairo, Egypt:

Delegations from Hamas, Qatar and the United States have arrived in Egypt for a “new round of negotiations” on a truce in the Gaza war, state-affiliated Khahra news reported on Sunday.

Cairo, Doha and Washington have brokered weeks of talks aimed at halting the nearly five-month war between Israel and Hamas sparked by the Oct. 7 attack.

They aim to secure a truce before the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan next week, but a series of failed negotiations have dashed hopes.

At the heart of the negotiations is a proposal for a six-week moratorium on fighting and the release of hostages by Hamas in exchange for the release of Palestinian prisoners from Israeli prisons and more aid.

The war began on October 7 when Hamas launched an unprecedented attack on southern Israel, killing about 1,160 people, mostly civilians, according to official AFP statistics.

Hamas has also kidnapped 250 hostages, of which 130 are still being held, according to Israel, and 31 of them are suspected to have died.

Gaza’s health ministry reported on Sunday that 30,410 people, mostly women and children, had been killed in Israel’s retaliatory offensive in the besieged Palestinian territory.

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