People gather around a destroyed building after an Israeli airstrike in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, on March 27, 2024. The Palestinian death toll from ongoing Israeli attacks has risen to 32,490, the Hamas-run Health Ministry said on Wednesday. Photo: Xinhua

Truce talks between Israel and Hamas are expected to resume in Cairo on Sunday, Egyptian media reported several days after the UN Security Council issued its first demand for a cease-fire in the war on Gaza. Chinese observers predicted that certain compromises could be reached as both sides are facing mounting pressure, yet they remain pessimistic that a large breakthrough could be achieved as Israel is unlikely to change its tough stance.

The news was first reported by Egypt's Al Qahera News TV on Saturday, citing a security source. Reuters also quoted an Israeli official on Saturday saying that Israel will send a delegation to Cairo on Sunday. However, a Hamas official told Reuters that the group would wait to hear from Cairo mediators on the outcome of their talks with Israel first.

It is possible both sides can reach agreement on certain topics and compromises, such as a temporary truce, because at present, although there are still significant differences between Israel and Hamas, the pressure on each side is also increasing, Zhu Yongbiao, director of the Center for Afghanistan Studies at Lanzhou University, told the Global Times on Sunday. 

The resumption of indirect negotiations comes as more protests erupted in Israel's capital against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Netanyahu has said Israel will return to the negotiating table for a new round of cease-fire talks with Hamas, Sky News reported on Friday.

Several sets of negotiations have so far failed to find a deal that would see Israel pause its military offensive in return for the release of the remaining hostages.

The Israeli prime minister said on Friday he has told the country's lead negotiators to join talks in Qatar and Egypt over the coming days.

Many Israelis feel that Netanyahu is the main obstacle to signing a deal with Hamas and bringing the captives held in Gaza back home, Al Jazeera reported. 

Zhu agreed, saying that although there is hope for progress in the peace negotiations, he is pessimistic. Although Israel, facing increased domestic and international pressure, is willing to show certain flexibility in peace talks, the main objectives of Israel remain unchanged, and the Netanyahu administration is still tough on the subject, said Zhu. 

The truce talks come days after the UN Security Council approved a resolution demanding an immediate cease-fire in the Gaza Strip for the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

One day after the resolution was passed, Netanyahu vowed to push forward with his campaign to eliminate the Hamas militant group, while also criticizing the resolution demanding an immediate cease-fire in Gaza, the VOA reported.

This resolution only adds moral and, to a certain extent, legal pressure on Israel's attacks on Gaza. However, judging from Israel's behavior, the likelihood of them fully implementing such an agreement is not very high, Zhu said. 

Meanwhile, the US, who came in for criticism because it abstained from the vote on the UN resolution, has greenlighted the transfer of billions of dollars worth of bombs and fighter jets to Israel, The Washington Post reported on Friday. 

The new arms package includes more than 1,800 MK84 2,000-pound bombs and 500 MK82 500-pound bombs, according to Pentagon and Department of State officials, reported the Washington Post.

The US approach in this matter is, on one hand, a gesture toward the international community to exert pressure on Israel, and on the other, it is about maintaining the special relationship with Israel. So far, there has been no fundamental shake-up in the alliance between US and Israel, said Zhu.

He noted that it can be said that the US continues to play a dual role in this conflict.