Hamas Delegation Arrives in El-Alamein for Gaza Ceasefire Phase Two Talks

A Hamas political delegation led by chief negotiator Khalil al-Hayya arrived in El-Alamein, Egypt's Mediterranean coastal city, on June 3, 2026, for a new round of mediated negotiations on implementing Gaza ceasefire phase two. The talks involved Egyptian intelligence mediators, Qatari and Turkish officials, and UN-linked envoy Nikolay Mladenov ('Peace Council' Executive Director). The agenda centered on the four pillars of phase two: Hamas disarmament and demilitarization, a full Israeli military withdrawal from Gaza, the launch of a Palestinian technocratic administration committee for Gaza, and the framework for reconstruction under international oversight. Hamas's position remained firm: 'The resistance factions will not accept disarmament under conditions imposed by the occupation.' The Hamas delegation visit came days after Egypt issued an urgent May 30 warning to Israel that ongoing military escalations in Gaza — with the IDF controlling approximately 53-70% of the enclave — 'fundamentally violate' the October 2025 ceasefire framework. 929 Palestinians had been killed in Israeli strikes since the October 2025 ceasefire. El-Alamein, historically known as the site of the pivotal 1942 World War II battle, has become Egypt's preferred venue for sensitive diplomatic talks away from the Cairo bureaucracy.