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Gaza ceasefire talks in Cairo near ‘significant breakthrough': sources

Gaza ceasefire talks in Cairo near ‘significant breakthrough': sources

TimesLIVE29-04-2025
Negotiations held in Cairo to reach a ceasefire in Gaza were on the verge of a 'significant breakthrough', two Egyptian security sources told Reuters on Monday.
There was no immediate comment from Israel and Hamas. Axios reporter Barak Ravid said in a brief post on X an Israeli official denied the reported breakthrough, without giving further details.
The Egyptian sources said there was a consensus on a long-term ceasefire in the besieged enclave but some sticking points remain, including Hamas' arms.
Hamas repeatedly said it was not willing to lay down its arms, a key demand by Israel.
Earlier Egyptian state-affiliated Al Qahera News TV reported Egyptian intelligence chief Gen Hassan Mahmoud Rashad was to meet an Israeli delegation headed by strategic affairs minister Ron Dermer in Cairo on Monday.
The sources said the talks included Egyptian and Israeli delegations.
Mediators Egypt and Qatar did not report developments on the latest talks.
Qatar Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said on Sunday a recent meeting in Doha on efforts to reach a ceasefire made some progress, but noted there was no agreement yet on how to end the war. He said the militant group is willing to return all remaining Israeli hostages if Israel ends the war in Gaza.
However, Israel wants Hamas to release the remaining hostages without offering a clear vision on ending the war, he said.
The media adviser for the Hamas leadership, Taher Al-Nono, told Reuters on Saturday the group was open to a years-long truce with Israel in Gaza, adding it hoped to build support among mediators for its offer.
Speaking at a conference in Jerusalem on Monday night, before Reuters reported there had been progress in the talks, Dermer said the government remained committed to dismantling Hamas' military capability, ending its rule in Gaza, ensuring the enclave never again poses a threat to Israel and returning the hostages.
Israel resumed its offensive in Gaza on March 18 after a January ceasefire collapsed, saying it would keep up pressure on Hamas until it frees the remaining hostages held in the enclave. Up to 24 of them are believed to be alive.
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Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Racism will never end unless confronted Why is it so hard for people to stand up to, or act against, racism, discrimination, violent crime, social injustice, and rampant corruption in their local communities and /or countries of birth or countries they have migrated to?Does it inconvenience them or cost them anything to do so? 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These are almost impossible to obtain and the few that do get exemptions from the minimum wage in certain categories, that exemption is for only a short period of time and only in very limited circumstances. Even the few exemptions that are obtained don't go far enough, despite the fact that the individuals would rather earn a lower amount than no salary. These individuals are not entitled to agree to take the lower amount. Their only other alternative is to resort to crime, drugs, or nothing but despair. Such circumstances tend to lead to some employers breaking the law and to many employees being complicit in breaching the rules and regulations. In many circumstances in my daily dealing with trade unions even they are willing to overlook these breaches. In my travels across South Africa, I speak to shop stewards who tell me they would rather have their members employed than to strictly enforce the minimum wage. 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