Daijiworld Media Network – Cairo
Cairo, Oct 7: Delegations from Hamas and Israel have begun indirect negotiations in Egypt’s Sharm El-Sheikh aimed at ending the nearly two-year-long war in Gaza, under a peace plan proposed by US President Donald Trump.
According to Al-Qahera News, which is linked to Egyptian state intelligence, discussions are focusing on creating the groundwork for a hostage-prisoner exchange, with Egyptian and Qatari mediators facilitating the talks. The talks are being held under tight security, with negotiators communicating through intermediaries after recent Israeli attempts to assassinate Hamas’s lead negotiators in Qatar.
Hamas representative Khalil al-Hayya, who survived an Israeli strike in Doha last month, met Egyptian intelligence officials ahead of the meeting. The talks, marking the eve of the second anniversary of the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack, are expected to last several days.
Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner are expected to arrive in Egypt to oversee progress. Trump has urged both sides to “move fast,” calling the deal a crucial step toward peace. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi also praised Trump’s plan, calling it “the right path to lasting peace and stability.”
The proposal includes a phased hostage-prisoner exchange, a temporary truce, and the gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza. However, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to maintain troop presence “deep inside” Gaza to ensure security.
Hamas sources confirmed readiness to halt military operations in parallel with Israel ceasing bombardment. Yet, Israel’s military chief, Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir, warned that if talks fail, operations will resume.
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has offered to assist in facilitating the release process and restoring humanitarian aid access.
Since Hamas’s October 2023 attack that killed 1,219 people, mostly civilians, Israel’s retaliatory strikes have claimed over 67,000 Palestinian lives, according to Gaza’s health ministry figures.
Negotiations continue amid deep skepticism and desperation among Gazans, who have endured two years of destruction and displacement.