CAIRO, Dec 1 — Hamas is open to discussing "all ideas and proposals”, a senior official of the Palestinian group told AFP, as representatives arrived in Cairo Saturday for talks on a possible ceasefire in Gaza.

The group has "not received any new offer or proposal so far”, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the topic.

But Hamas "is open to discussing all ideas and proposals that lead to the end of the war, Israel’s withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, the return of the displaced, the entry of humanitarian and relief aid, and a serious deal to exchange prisoners,” he said.

The talks come after a ceasefire went into effect Wednesday between Israel and the Lebanese group Hezbollah, a Hamas ally, after a US-led effort to broker a truce.

Following the Lebanon deal, the United States announced a new diplomatic effort with Qatar, Turkey and Egypt to reach a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of hostages taken during the October 7, 2023 Hamas attacks on Israel that set off the war.

That attack resulted in the deaths of 1,207 people, most of them civilians, according to an AFP tally of Israeli official figures.

Israel’s retaliatory military offensive has killed 44,382 people in Gaza, according to figures from the territory’s Hamas-run health ministry that the United Nations considers reliable.

Some 251 hostages were also taken on October 7, and 97 are believed to still be in Gaza, including 34 people the Israeli army says are dead.

The only ceasefire so far, in November 2023, saw the release of around 100 hostages by Hamas and its allies in exchange for 240 Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.

The United States, Qatar and Egypt have led multiple failed efforts since the start of the year to reach a new ceasefire and hostage release. — AFP