Cairo-Mediated Gaza Ceasefire Talks See 'Significant Breakthrough' on Hamas Weapons Roadmap

Talks hosted by Egypt in Cairo between mediators and Hamas leaders showed rare progress on July 30, 2026, toward full implementation of the US-brokered Gaza peace plan's second phase, according to Egyptian security sources. Negotiators moved toward a roadmap for decommissioning all heavy and light weapons in Gaza, including the elimination of tunnels, arms stockpiles, and weapons-production facilities, aiming to leave no remaining militant infrastructure in the territory. Egyptian intelligence chief General Hassan Mahmoud Rashad met with an Israeli delegation led by strategic affairs minister Ron Dermer as part of the Cairo track, which also involved Qatari and Turkish mediators. A Hamas official and a diplomat close to the talks described the discussions as 'positive' and 'making progress,' though they cautioned the outcome would be tested by Israel's response — an Israeli official said Israel still objected to the terms under discussion, particularly around Hamas's reported reluctance to fully surrender its weapons. The talks followed a Hamas delegation's arrival in Cairo on July 28 and built on the Egyptian-Israeli military talks held in the capital on July 10.