CAIRO, December 21. /TASS/. Palestinian groups Hamas, Islamic Jihad and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine said at a meeting in Cairo that an agreement with the Israeli side on a settlement in the Gaza Strip is closer than ever before, according to a joint statement posted on Hamas' Telegram channel.

"The meeting of the three factions emphasized the interest in ending the [Israeli] aggression against the Palestinian people, as the possibility of reaching agreements [with Israel] is closer than ever, [provided] that the other side [Israel] stops imposing new conditions," the statement said.

The document pointed out that during the talks in Cairo, representatives of the radical groups "discussed with the mediators the development of indirect negotiations [with the Israeli side] on a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and a hostage exchange agreement, as well as the development of the situation at the level of the [Middle East] region.".