RIYADH: Egypt’s foreign minister said he was “hopeful” about a new proposal for a truce in Gaza as a Hamas delegation was due in Cairo for talks on Monday.

“There is a proposal on the table (and it’s) up to the two sides to consider and accept,” Sameh Shoukry said in Riyadh at the World Economic Forum.

“We are hopeful,” he added, explaining that “the proposal has taken into account the positions of both sides and has tried to extract moderation”.

“We are waiting to have a final decision. There are factors that will have an impact on both sides’ decisions, but I hope that all will rise to the occasion.”

Blinken says US almost ready with Saudi rewards for Israel normalisation

Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan later said a new deal would “be very, very positive… But it’s absolutely necessary that any ceasefire be permanent, not temporary”.

Egypt, Qatar and the United States have been trying to mediate an agreement between Israel and Hamas for months, but a flurry of diplomacy in recent days appeared to suggest a new push towards halting the fighting.

A Hamas delegation was due in Egypt on Monday, where it is expected to respond to Israel’s latest proposal for a truce in Gaza and a release of hostages after almost seven months of war.

A senior Hamas official said on Sunday that the Palestinian group had no “major issues” with the most recent truce plan.

“The atmosphere is positive unless there are new Israeli obstacles,” the official told AFP, requesting anonymity to discuss the negotiations.