Israel to send delegation to Cairo for Gaza ceasefire talks: official

JERUSALEM -- Israel was set to send a delegation to Cairo for talks with Hamas on a new ceasefire proposal aimed at securing the release of hostages held in Gaza, an Israeli government source told Xinhua on Monday.

The delegation, composed of security officials, will depart on Tuesday to discuss the deal with Egyptian brokers, said the source on condition of anonymity.

Israeli state-owned Kan TV news reported that a Hamas delegation has arrived in Cairo for discussions on the deal. The report said that in the revised proposal, Israel has agreed to reduce the number of hostages it demands to be released to 33.

Israel initially insisted that Hamas release a minimum of 40 hostages but altered its position upon learning that the actual number of surviving hostages was below 40.