Hamas says ceasefire talks to resume next week

The US, Egypt and Qatar have been trying to broker an agreement on a six-week ceasefire for weeks (Mohammed Dahman/AP)

Hamas said on Thursday that its delegation had left Cairo and that talks on a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release would resume next week, making it extremely unlikely that mediators will broker a deal before the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

Egyptian officials said earlier that the negotiations had reached an impasse over Hamas’ demand for a phased process culminating in an end to the war. But they did not rule out a deal before Ramadan, which is expected to begin on Sunday and has emerged as an informal deadline.