A senior Hamas official told AFP today that a truce in the Gaza Strip could be feasible “within the next 24 to 48 hours”, as long as Israel accepts the demands of the Palestinian movement.

“If Israel accepts Hamas’ demands, which include the return to the northern Gaza Strip of displaced Palestinians and increased humanitarian aid, may pave the way for a deal within the next 24 or 48 hours”, said the official, who wished to remain anonymous.

In the meantime, a Hamas delegation arrived in Cairo today to participate in talks to reach a ceasefire in Gaza, according to a senior official.

The delegation is headed by the deputy head of Hamas in Gaza, Khalil al-Haya, he added.

Dozens of blows against Han Younis

At the same time, the Israeli army announced today that has stepped up its operations in the city of Khan Yunis in the southern part of the Gaza Strip, destroying dozens of Hamas targets with airstrikes and artillery strikes.

Israel’s Air Force and artillery hit about 50 targets within six minutes, the military explained, in an effort to “enhance operational successes in the region.”

With these strikes, “the troops destroyed terrorist infrastructure and killed Hamas terrorists operating from civilian installations in residential areas,” he added.

Local residents said they were surprised by the rapid advance of Israeli tanks, while fresh clashes broke out with Palestinian gunmen. Families from a residential building wrote on social media that they are trapped in their homes due to the presence of tanks on the streets.

The armed Palestinian group Islamic Jihad, for its part, announced that it fired rockets at two tanks and blew up a building into which Israeli soldiers had entered.

Han Younis has been at the center of the Israeli army’s operations in recent weeks.

The Hamas Health Ministry announced today a new death toll of 30,410 in the Gaza Strip since the start of the war on October 7. In the last 24 hours, another 90 people were killed, while the number of injured reached 71,700, the ministry added.