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A Hamas delegation has met Egyptian officials in Cairo on Sunday to discuss a Gaza ceasefire deal as well as the delivery of vital humanitarian aid.

Two Hamas officials confirmed to AFP that the meeting took place, adding that the delegation met the head of the Egyptian general intelligence, Major General Hassan Rashad as well as other Egyptian intelligence officials.

Another Hamas official who was present at the meeting told AFP that "Egypt, Qatar and Turkey are making great efforts to reach an agreement for a ceasefire and prisoner exchange", with the main topics of conversation being stopping the aggression and opening the Rafah crossing.

"Our Palestinian people are waiting for American and international pressure on (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu to stop the war and reach an agreement as happened in Lebanon," the official said.

According to reports, a Hamas official said the group was open to offers to reach "a ceasefire or prisoner exchange deal" but had not received any yet.

While Egypt has not yet publicly commented on the meeting, Hamas officials insisted that any deal must include conditions they have set out from the start of Israel’s war on the enclave, including a full ceasefire, total withdrawal of Israeli military forces and the entry of vital aid into the Strip.

Arabic news site Arabi21Ìýreported that Egypt's foreign minister Badr Abdel Ati said on Monday that there were "ideas and visions put forward regarding the release of captives and prisoners, as well as a ceasefire and the day after the war".

"There are two delegations from Hamas and Fatah in Cairo consulting and trying to reach a common understanding" he added.

Cairo is currently proposing an agreement that would include the formation of a committee of regional mediators to monitor the implementation of any conditions agreed during the transitional truce period of 60 days.

According to Arabi21, sources said that negotiators agreed that if a deal was struck, it could mean that the Rafah crossing may be opened by late December.

The meeting came just six days after Israel and Hezbollah agreed on a ceasefire deal, despite France stating that Israel had already violated the truce.

Security consultations

The Israeli Army Radio said on Monday that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has an arrest warrant against him for war crimes by the International Criminal Court, held security consultations on Sunday evening, where he discussed the proposed truce with Hamas.

According to the Israeli Army Radio, the proposal included Egypt requesting that Hamas agree to Israel’s condition for their army to remain in part of the Strip and in turn, Israel showing more flexibility when it comes to releasing Palestinian prisoners.

The consultation meeting went on for a long time, with many issues discussed, reports stated, including the release of captives held in Gaza and the security establishment facing deteriorating conditions.

The Israeli Yedioth Ahronoth also reported that the Israeli army’s chief of the general staff is pushing for a deal to be agreed.

The White House has reiterated in recent days that it is working on a ceasefire and captive deal in Gaza but is "not there yet", US national security adviser Jake Sullivan said.

"We are working actively to try to make it happen. We are engaged deeply with the key players in the region, and there is activity even today," he said.

"There will be further conversations and consultations, and our hope is that we can generate a ceasefire and hostage deal, but we're not there yet," he continued.

Israel's war on Gaza has killed at least 44,466 Palestinians since 7 October 2023 and wounded over 105,358 others in the same time frame.