The Board of Peace does not expect to receive a final approval from Hamas to its disarmament proposal by the Saturday deadline set by the international body overseeing the postwar management of Gaza, three sources familiar with the matter told The Times of Israel.

While the deadline is unlikely to be met, intensive talks with the terror group are ongoing in Cairo with the participation of the Board of Peace’s High Representative for Gaza Nickolay Mladenov as well as representatives from mediating countries Turkey, Qatar, Egypt and the United States, two of the sources said.

One of the sources stressed that progress is still being made in advancing key elements of US President Donald Trump’s plan for ending the war and expressed hope that Hamas will give its final approval to the Board of Peace’s disarmament proposal in the coming days, even if it may come shortly after the Saturday deadline.

Late weekend, Mladenov met with a delegation of senior Hamas officials in Cairo, and the terror group was subsequently informed that the Gaza oversight board wants a disarmament agreement finalized by the end of this week, two Arab diplomats and a third source told The Times of Israel on Monday.

The Arab diplomats clarified then that minor amendments to the disarmament proposal would still be considered, while requests for fundamental changes by Hamas would not be accepted.

Mladenov is convinced that it is possible to move ahead with the second phase of Trump’s plan for ending the Gaza war, one of the Arab diplomats said, while acknowledging that Middle East mediating countries Egypt, Qatar and Turkey are not as optimistic.

Very long day ahead, but after a quick flight from Ankara, an early morning start today in Cairo with Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty reviewing the next steps in the implementation of Phase two of the Gaza peace plan. Egypt remains a........

© The Times of Israel