Senior Hamas official Khalil al-Hayya visited Cairo on Thursday to discuss Egyptian and American hostage deal proposals, according to a Friday report from the UK-based Qatari newspaper Al-Araby al-Jadeed.
According to the report, al Hayya claimed that any movement towards negotiations must be preceded by an end to what he termed the "genocide" being carried out in the northern part of the Gaza Strip.
According to a separate report by the AFP, Hamas told the Egyptians it was ready to cease fighting if Israel were to agree to a ceasefire.
What a ceasefire would include
This would reportedly include the withdrawal of IDF troops from the Gaza Strip and the entrance of humanitarian aid into Gaza, among other things.
"Hamas has expressed readiness to stop the fighting, but Israel must commit to a ceasefire, withdraw from the Gaza Strip, allow the return of displaced people, agree to a serious prisoner exchange deal, and allow the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza," a Hamas official was quoted by the news agency as saying.