Cairo: Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi met with CIA Director William Burns on Tuesday in Cairo, amidst ongoing efforts by US and Israeli delegations to secure a truce in Gaza. Sisi's office confirmed that the discussions centered on "the latest developments in joint efforts to reach a truce and ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip," where Israeli military operations have intensified.

Mediators from Egypt and Qatar have been negotiating for months to achieve a ceasefire and a hostage release deal in Gaza. Recent talks have gained momentum after Hamas indicated a willingness to drop its demand for a lasting Israeli ceasefire in the initial phase of any agreement.

The conflict, now in its tenth month, began with a Hamas attack on southern Israel on October 7, resulting in the deaths of 1,195 people, mostly civilians, and the capture of 251 hostages, of whom 116 remain in Gaza, including 42 confirmed dead by the Israeli military.

Israel's retaliatory offensive has led to the deaths of at least 38,243 people in Gaza, predominantly civilians, according to the health ministry of the Hamas-run territory.

Husam Badran, a member of Hamas's Political Bureau, stated on Monday that Hamas has responded positively to the ceasefire proposal, emphasizing that it is now up to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to act. "If the U.S. administration wants to end the war, it should pressure Netanyahu to reach a ceasefire," Badran said, asserting that the Palestinian people are the main victims of the conflict.

CIA Director Burns is expected to return to Cairo this week to participate in negotiations regarding the prisoner exchange deal and efforts to end the conflict. An Israeli delegation, including officials involved in prisoner negotiations, was anticipated to arrive in Cairo on Sunday to resume ceasefire talks.

The conflict was triggered by a Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, which resulted in the deaths of approximately 1,200 people and the abduction of more than 250 hostages. Since then, Egypt, Qatar, and the United States have been working to broker a truce and facilitate a prisoner swap between Israel and Hamas.