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CAIRO, Aug 16: A senior Hamas delegation held talks with Egyptian officials in Cairo on Sunday, with the Palestinian group saying the discussions were aimed at addressing alleged Israeli violations and ensuring implementation of an agreed Gaza roadmap.

Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem said the meetings were part of the group’s continuing diplomatic engagement with mediators.

He said Hamas was seeking to brief Egyptian officials on what it described as Israeli violations and to ensure Israel complies with the roadmap agreed with the Board of Peace.

The delegation, headed by Hamas leader Khalil al-Hayya, traveled to Cairo for talks focused on efforts to strengthen and maintain the Gaza ceasefire, according to a Hamas source cited by Anadolu.

The latest discussions come as mediators continue efforts to preserve the truce and address disputes over its implementation.

Israel launched its military offensive in the Gaza Strip in October 2023. According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, more than 73,000 Palestinians have been killed and over 174,000 wounded since the start of the conflict.

A ceasefire has remained in place since October 2025, but Gaza’s Health Ministry says Israeli military attacks have continued, killing at least 1,260 people and injuring more than 4,100 since the truce began.

The Hamas delegation’s visit comes amid continuing diplomatic efforts to prevent a renewed escalation and advance implementation of the broader Gaza roadmap.

Just a week before, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected the latest US-backed peace plan for Gaza, demanding the full disarmament of Hamas before any Israeli forces withdraw.

The comments come more than a week after Trump announced a breakthrough in negotiations, with his Board of Peace (BoP) issuing a new 15-point plan aimed at securing lasting peace in the territory

But in his first remarks directly addressing the plan, Netanyahu said: “I want to be precise here: Israel rejects the 15-point document.”

He said the Israeli military would “not withdraw at all until Hamas is genuinely disarmed and will continue to thwart threats against our forces and citizens.”

We are now discussing this with the Americans,” he added. “They have ideas, some of which are acceptable to us and some are not, and we know how to stand up to those things.”

“As long as I am prime minister, no Palestinian state will be established – not in Gaza and not in the West Bank,” Netanyahu said.

After Trump’s announcement on July 31 there was a surge in Israeli strikes on Gaza, but these have declined over the last few days. (UNI)