Delegations from Israel and Hamas launched indirect negotiations in Egypt on Monday, in talks the United States hopes will finally bring an end to the Gaza conflict. The discussions centre on highly contentious issues, including calls for Israel to withdraw from the Strip and for Hamas to disarm.
Both sides have endorsed the broad principles of President Donald Trump’s peace plan, which envisions a halt to fighting, the release of hostages, and the delivery of humanitarian aid into Gaza — marking the closest the parties have come to ending the conflict. The proposal has also secured backing from both Arab and Western nations.
“Move fast,” says Trump
Trump has urged that talks proceed swiftly towards a final agreement, describing the current moment as the most promising opportunity yet for peace.
“I am told that the first phase should be completed this week, and I am asking everyone to MOVE FAST,” Trump wrote in a social media post.
Despite cautious optimism, both sides are seeking clarification on several crucial points — issues that have derailed previous efforts and could once again delay a resolution. Trump has instructed Israel to suspend its bombing campaign during the negotiations. Residents in Gaza said that while the bombardment had eased significantly, it had not stopped entirely.
According to Gaza health authorities, 19 people were killed in Israeli strikes over the past 24 hours — roughly one-third of the average daily toll in recent weeks, when Israel had intensified its operations with a full-scale assault on Gaza City.
Talks underway in Sharm El Sheikh
Egyptian state television confirmed that the negotiations began in the Red Sea resort of Sharm El Sheikh, coinciding with the second anniversary of the Hamas attack on Israel that sparked the war. That assault killed 1,200 people and saw 251 others taken hostage — the deadliest day for Jews since the Holocaust.
Israel’s subsequent military campaign has killed more than 67,000 Palestinians according to the local Health Authority, and left most of Gaza’s 2.2 million residents displaced, homeless, and hungry amid the ruins of the Strip.
Egyptian sources said Hamas was seeking assurances that Israel would honour commitments to withdraw its troops from Gaza once hostages were released, to avoid losing all leverage after handing them over.
Doubts over a breakthrough
With Israeli forces continuing to demolish neighbourhoods across Gaza City, many residents see a ceasefire as their only remaining hope.
“If there is a deal, then we survive. If there isn’t, it is like we have been sentenced to death,” said Gharam Mohammad, 20, who has been displaced with her family in central Gaza.
Inside Israel, public pressure is mounting to end the war and secure the hostages’ release. However, right-wing members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s cabinet oppose any pause in the fighting.
Although Trump has urged a rapid deal, an official familiar with the talks said this round of negotiations was expected to take at least several days. Another official involved in ceasefire planning said that Trump’s 72-hour deadline for the return of all hostages was unrealistic, as the bodies of several deceased hostages still need to be located and retrieved from across the battlefield.
A Palestinian official close to the talks voiced scepticism about a breakthrough, citing deep mistrust between the parties and concern among Palestinian factions that Israel might abandon negotiations once its hostages are recovered.
The Israeli delegation includes representatives from Mossad and Shin Bet, along with Prime Minister Netanyahu’s foreign policy adviser Ophir Falk and hostage affairs coordinator Gal Hirsch. Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, Israel’s chief negotiator, is expected to join later this week depending on progress.
The Hamas delegation is led by exiled Gaza leader Khalil al-Hayya, who survived an Israeli airstrike in Doha last month that killed his son. The group said it would seek clarity on the exchange of remaining hostages — both living and deceased — for Palestinian prisoners, as well as on an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and a permanent ceasefire.
A key sticking point is Israel’s insistence, echoed in Trump’s plan, that Hamas disarm — a demand the group has rejected unless Israel ends its occupation and agrees to the creation of a Palestinian state.
On Monday, Israel also deported dozens of activists it had detained from a flotilla attempting to deliver aid to Gaza, among them Swedish climate campaigner Greta Thunberg.
As the U.S. federal government shutdown enters another critical stage, millions of low-income Americans face the possibility of losing their Supplemen...
Egypt has inaugurated the Grand Egyptian Museum near the Great Pyramid of Giza, unveiling the world’s largest archaeological museum and a modern cul...
Two men accused of stealing €88 million worth of jewels from Paris’ Louvre Museum have been charged and remanded in custody, as investigators cont...
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa is expected to visit Washington for discussions on Syria’s possible role in the U.S.-led coalition against IS....
Armenia will offer Azerbaijani as an optional subject for 10-12th grade students in three schools from the 2025/2026 academic year as part of a state ...
As the U.S. federal government shutdown enters another critical stage, millions of low-income Americans face the possibility of losing their Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits.
Two men accused of stealing €88 million worth of jewels from Paris’ Louvre Museum have been charged and remanded in custody, as investigators continue to search for the missing treasures.
Armenia will offer Azerbaijani as an optional subject for 10-12th grade students in three schools from the 2025/2026 academic year as part of a state programme to develop foreign and regional languages.
Tens of thousands of demonstrators filled Serbia’s second-largest city on Saturday, marking one year since a railway station roof collapse killed 16 people, a tragedy that has fuelled public outrage over alleged corruption and lack of accountability.
Reports from CNN say the Pentagon has approved the provision of long range Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine after assessing its impact on U.S. stockpiles, while leaving the ultimate decision to President Trump.
Tanzanian police fired tear gas and live rounds on Thursday to disperse protesters in Dar es Salaam and other cities, a day after a disputed election marked by violence and claims of political repression, witnesses said.
Russia launched a barrage of drones and missiles at Ukraine's energy infrastructure and other targets, forcing nationwide power restrictions and killing seven people, including a seven-year-old girl, Ukrainian officials said on Thursday.
The U.S. State Department has ordered the departure of all non-emergency personnel and their family members from Mali, citing escalating security risks as al Qaeda-linked insurgents tighten a fuel blockade on the country.
Torrential rain battered New York on Thursday, leaving two people dead, Mayor Eric Adams confirmed, as severe storms disrupted flights and prompted flood warnings across parts of the city.
A man and a woman were killed and several others injured in a shooting on the Greek island of Crete on Saturday, in what police officials described as a family vendetta, reviving memories of the island’s long and complex history of inter-family violence.
As the U.S. federal government shutdown enters another critical stage, millions of low-income Americans face the possibility of losing their Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits.
Two men accused of stealing €88 million worth of jewels from Paris’ Louvre Museum have been charged and remanded in custody, as investigators continue to search for the missing treasures.
Tens of thousands of demonstrators filled Serbia’s second-largest city on Saturday, marking one year since a railway station roof collapse killed 16 people, a tragedy that has fuelled public outrage over alleged corruption and lack of accountability.
Members of a U.S. congressional committee investigating the Jeffrey Epstein case have stepped up pressure on Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor to answer questions about his relationship with the late financier and convicted sex offender, the BBC reported on Saturday.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment