Israel and Hamas Resume Gaza Talks with Hostages Top Priority
Israel and Hamas resumed Gaza ceasefire talks in Egypt with hostage releases as the immediate priority. Both sides support the main principles of a proposed peace plan while disagreeing on disarmament and withdrawal timelines. The negotiations mark the closest the parties have come to ending the two-year conflict.
Israel and Hamas began new negotiations in Egypt on Monday. The talks focus on releasing hostages held in Gaza. Both sides support the main principles of the proposed peace plan involving a ceasefire and aid delivery.
Arab and Western countries back the framework. A senior Israeli security source said initial talks will concentrate solely on hostage release. Hamas has several days to complete this first step.
Israel will not withdraw forces beyond the proposed 'yellow line' in Gaza. This boundary forms a strategic buffer zone. Further withdrawal depends on Hamas meeting specific conditions.
'I truly believe we will get a deal,' the U.S. president told reporters at the White House. 'We have a really good chance to make a deal, and it will be lasting.'
U.S. pressure has led Israel to scale back bombing during talks. Gaza residents report reduced but continuing attacks. Health authorities said 19 people died in Israeli strikes in the past day, about one-third of recent daily averages.
Negotiations started at the Red Sea resort Sharm el-Sheikh. Representatives from Egypt, the U.S., and Qatar are mediating. The first session ended late Monday, with talks continuing Tuesday.
Hamas presented its views on hostage releases and Israeli withdrawal timelines. The group expressed concern about whether Israel will commit to a permanent ceasefire and full withdrawal.
The talks began one day before the two-year anniversary of Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack on Israel. That assault killed 1,200 people and took 251 hostages, marking the deadliest day for Jews since the Holocaust.
Israel's military response has killed over 67,000 Palestinians since then. Most of Gaza's 2.2 million residents are now homeless and hungry in a region devastated by continuous bombing.
Pressure is growing in Israel to end the war and bring hostages home. Right-wing members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government oppose any pause in fighting.
The Hamas delegation is led by the group's former Gaza political chief Khalil al-Hayya. He survived an Israeli airstrike in Doha one month ago that killed his son.
The U.S. has sent special envoy Steve Witkoff and presidential son-in-law Jared Kushner, who has close Middle East ties. 'The parties are going through lists of both Israeli hostages and political prisoners to be released,' the White House press secretary said Monday.
A difficult issue remains Israel's demand that Hamas disarm. A Hamas source confirmed the group will not disarm until Israel ends occupation and a Palestinian state is established.
The negotiations represent the closest the parties have come to ending the two-year war. Both sides face domestic pressure to show results while maintaining their core demands.