CAIRO (AFP) – Indirect negotiations between Palestinians and Israelis for a truce in Gaza resumed on Wednesday, a Palestinian official said, as the clock ticked towards the midnight expiry of a three-day halt to hostilities.

The talks, held at the General Intelligence headquarters in Cairo, are expected to last all day as Egyptian mediators race to bridge the gaps between the two sides.

The negotiations “are in a very sensitive stage and we hope to reach an agreement” before midnight (5am Thursday Singapore time), said Palestinian delegation head Azzam al-Ahmed.

Nearly 2,000 Palestinians have been killed since Israel launched its Gaza offensive on July 8 to halt cross-border rocket fire. On the Israeli side, 67 people have been killed, mostly soldiers.