Israel and Hamas entered a third day of peace talks at an Egyptian resort on Wednesday, with more senior officials from the United States, Israel and mediating countries expected to join — a sign that negotiators aim to tackle the toughest issues of an American plan to end the war in Gaza.
Hamas says it is seeking firm guarantees from US President Donald Trump and mediators that Israel will not resume its military campaign in the Palestinian territory after the militant group releases all the remaining hostages.
All sides have expressed optimism for a deal to end the two-year war, with tens of thousands of Palestinians killed and most of the Gaza Strip destroyed. But key parts of the peace plan have still not been pinned down — including requirements that Hamas disarm, the timing and extent of an Israeli troop withdrawal from Gaza and the creation of an international body to run Gaza after Hamas steps down from power. Qatar’s prime minister and top diplomat, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, was heading to the Egyptian coastal city of Sharm el-Sheikh to join the talks.
Also expected Wednesday were Trump’s Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff and the president’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, according to a US official who was not authorised to talk to reporters because the trip has not yet been formally announced.
From Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s top adviser, Ron Dermer, was also to join, an Israeli official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to speak to the media.
As Qatari, Egyptian and US mediators met with both sides in preliminary talks on Wednesday morning, a senior Hamas official, Taher Nounou, said the group has exchanged a list of Palestinian prisoners it seeks to release in return for Israeli hostages under the deal’s terms.
The plan calls for an immediate ceasefire and release of the 48 hostages that militants in Gaza still hold from their Oct 7, 2023 surprise attack on Israel that started the war and triggered Israel’s devastating retaliation. Around 20 of the hostages are believed to still be alive.
It envisages Israel withdrawing its troops from Gaza after Hamas disarms, and an international security force being put in place. The territory would be placed under international governance, with Trump and former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair overseeing it. Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi said Wednesday in televised comments that the negotiations so far “were very encouraging”. Netanyahu has accepted Trump’s plan. His office said Tuesday that Israel was “cautiously optimistic,” framing the talks as technical negotiations over a plan that both sides already had approved.