Hamas holding talks with Egypt, Qatar before Sharm El-Sheikh meetings

Hamas"s lead negotiator Khalil al-Hayya will meet with mediators from Egypt and Qatar in Cairo this morning ahead of indirect talks with Israel in the Egyptian resort town of Sharm El-Sheikh, a senior Hamas official tells AFP, Report informs referring to The Times of Israel.

The preparatory talks were slated to begin at 10 a.m. (GMT+3), the BBC notes, citing a Palestinian official with knowledge of the negotiations.

Negotiations will look to "determine the date of a temporary truce," as well as create conditions for a first phase of the peace plan, in which 47 hostages held in Gaza are to be released in return for hundreds of Palestinian detainees, the senior Hamas official says.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said yesterday that talks would involve freeing all 48 hostages, including the body of soldier Hadar Goldin, which has been held by Hamas for over a decade.