• The Hamas leader reached Cairo to discuss a ceasefire.
• He would talk about aggression on the Gaza strip.
• Both factions released recordings of captives.

Ismail Haniyeh, the leader of Hamas, who is based in Qatar, traveled to Cairo on Wednesday to discuss prisoner exchanges and a ceasefire in the group’s conflict with Israel in Gaza.

According to a statement from the organization, Haniyeh arrived “in the Egyptian capital Cairo to hold discussions with Egyptian officials over the developments of the Zionist (Israeli) aggression on the Gaza Strip and other matters.”

Though few specifics are known about their encounter, Haniyeh had previously seen Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian in Doha before traveling to Cairo.

Haniyeh will lead a “high-level” Hamas delegation to Egypt, where he is expected to have discussions with Egyptian intelligence chief Abbas Kamel and other officials, according to a source close to the Palestinian militant group on Tuesday.

The source, who spoke under anonymity because he was not allowed to disclose the visit, stated that the talks will center “on stopping the aggression and the war to prepare an agreement for the release of prisoners (and) the end of the siege imposed on the Gaza Strip.”

Ziad Nakhaleh, the commander of the Islamic Jihad organization, is also anticipated in Cairo early next week for negotiations, according to a source close to the group, which fights alongside Hamas in Gaza.

Earlier this week, both factions released recordings purporting to be of captives still detained in Gaza, asking with the Israeli authorities to ensure their release.

In late January, Qatar mediated a week-long ceasefire with assistance from Egypt and the US, releasing 80 Israeli captives in return for 240 Palestinians detained in Israeli jails.

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