Delegations from Israel, Hamas, and the United States have arrived in Egypt for long-awaited ceasefire negotiations aimed at ending nearly two years of conflict in Gaza. The talks, which begin Monday in the resort city of Sharm El-Sheikh, come after U.S. President Donald Trump urged all sides to “move fast” toward a truce and the release of captives.
Both Israel and Hamas have welcomed Trump’s proposed peace framework, which includes a temporary halt to fighting, the exchange of hostages, and the release of Palestinian prisoners. Hamas negotiator Khalil al-Hayya met earlier on Monday with mediators from Egypt and Qatar in Cairo to prepare for the discussions.
According to Hamas officials, the talks will seek to fix a date for a temporary ceasefire and outline the first phase of a deal that would see 47 Israeli hostages freed in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian detainees.
Posting on his Truth Social platform, Trump said he had held “positive discussions” with Hamas and allied nations and expected “the first phase” of the plan to be completed within the week. “I am asking everyone to MOVE FAST,” he wrote.
Foreign ministers from Egypt and other participating nations described the negotiations as a “real opportunity” to achieve a lasting truce. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also expressed optimism that hostages could be freed “within days.”
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio called on Israel to halt airstrikes ahead of the talks, noting that “you can’t release hostages in the middle of strikes.” In response, Israeli officials confirmed that their delegation would depart for Egypt on Monday, on the eve of the second anniversary of Hamas’s October 7, 2023, assault that triggered the war.
The White House said Trump has dispatched two special envoys, his son-in-law Jared Kushner and Middle East negotiator Steve Witkoff to assist mediation efforts.
A Hamas source told AFP that the group’s participation depends on Israel halting its operations across the Gaza Strip, including air raids and drone surveillance. Hamas reportedly agreed to cease its own attacks in parallel once Israel complies.
Under Trump’s proposed plan, Israel would release 250 Palestinians serving life sentences and over 1,700 others detained during the ongoing conflict.
Despite preparations for the talks, Israeli strikes continued Sunday, with Gaza’s civil defence agency reporting at least 20 deaths, including 13 in Gaza City. Residents noted, however, a reduction in the intensity of bombings overnight.
The U.S.-backed peace plan, endorsed by Netanyahu, envisions a 72-hour ceasefire leading to hostage releases, a gradual Israeli withdrawal, and Hamas’s disarmament, a condition the militant group has long rejected. Governance of Gaza, under the proposal, would be handed to a technocratic administration overseen by a transitional authority led by Trump.
“We hope Trump will pressure Netanyahu and force him to stop the war,” said Ahmad Barbakh, a resident of Al-Mawasi. “People want the prisoner exchange deal to happen quickly so that Israel has no excuse to keep fighting.”
The war, now entering its second year, has left deep scars on both sides. Hamas’s initial attack in October 2023 killed 1,219 people, mostly civilians, according to Israeli figures. Israel’s retaliatory campaign has since killed at least 67,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s health ministry figures verified by the United Nations.
