CAIRO, April 29, 2025 (BSS/AFP) - Egypt's intelligence chief Hassan Rashad is due to meet on Monday with Israeli negotiators in Cairo for talks on a ceasefire in Gaza, Egyptian state-linked media said.

The meeting with the Israeli team, led by Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, follows a visit to Cairo by a Hamas delegation days earlier, according to Al-Qahera News, which is close to Egypt's intelligence services.

There was no immediate confirmation from Israeli officials, who rarely comment on sensitive negotiations until after they take place.

Egypt, along with Qatar and the United States, has been leading diplomatic efforts to end the devastating war in the Gaza Strip, now in its 18th month.

Palestinian militant group Hamas said earlier this week that its delegation had left Cairo late Saturday after talks.

A Hamas official, speaking to AFP on condition of anonymity, had said the group was ready for a "one-time prisoner exchange and a five-year truce".

The latest talks come after Hamas rejected an Israeli proposal earlier this month as "partial".

Hamas demands that any agreement lead to a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and a permanent ceasefire -- conditions Israel has so far rejected.

Israel insists on the release of all hostages and Hamas's disarmament, demands the group calls a "red line".