Negotiations held in Cairo to reach a ceasefire in Gaza were witnessing a “significant breakthrough,” two Egyptian security sources told Reuters on Monday.

The sources said there was a consensus on a long-term ceasefire in the besieged enclave, yet some sticking points remain, including Hamas arms.

Hamas repeatedly said it was not willing to lay down its arms, a key demand for Israel.

A Palestinian man sits on debris while covering his face with his hand at the site of an Israeli strike on a house, in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip April 28, 2025. (REUTERS/Hatem Khaled)

Earlier, Egyptian state-affiliated Al Qahera News TV reported Egyptian intelligence chief General Hassan Mahmoud Rashad is set to meet an Israeli delegation headed by strategic affairs minister Ron Dermer on Monday in Cairo.

The sources said the ongoing talks included Egyptian and Israeli delegations.