Israel and Hamas began indirect talks in Egypt, which aim to end the war on Gaza after both sides signalled their support for US President Donlad Trump’s proposed peace plan.
The US-brokered talks held in the Egyptian Red Sea resort of Sharm el Sheikh came on the eve of the second anniversary of the Israeli offensive on the enclave.
They sought to bridge gaps between Israel and Hamas and hammer out details for the execution of the first phase of Trump’s plan – the release of hostages and Palestinian prisoners and an immediate ceasefire.
Trump’s plan has received wide international backing and raised hopes for an end to a devastating war that has upended global politics, killed tens of thousands of Palestinians and reduced the Gaza Strip to rubble.
Many uncertainties remain around the latest plan, including the demand for Hamas to disarm and the future governance of Gaza.
Who is at the talks?
US special envoy Steve Witkoff is leading Washington’s negotiating team, according to a senior Egyptian official who spoke on the condition of anonymity on Saturday.
Local Egyptian media said that Witkoff and Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law and former advisor in Trump’s first White House term, arrived in Egypt and are expected to join the talks.
The Israelis are led by top negotiator Ron Dermer, while Khalil al-Hayyah leads the Hamas delegation. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said that foreign policy adviser Ophir Falk would also be present for Israel among others.
It’s not clear how long the talks are expected to last. Netanyahu said they would be “confined to a few days maximum,” and Trump has stressed that Hamas must move quickly, “or else all bets will be off.”
Hamas officials have warned more time may be needed to locate bodies of hostages buried under rubble.
How will Trump’s plan materialise?
All hostilities would — in theory — would immediately end in the first phase of Trump’s 21-point peace plan.
Under the deal, Hamas would release all the hostages it holds, living or deceased, within 72 hours of acceptance. The Gaza-based group still holds 48 hostages in captivity in Gaza, which Israel believes around 20 of which may still be alive.
Israel would initially free 250 Palestinians serving life sentences in its prisons and 1,700 people detained from Gaza since the war began, including all women and children. Israel also would hand over the bodies of 15 Palestinians for each body of a hostage handed over.
Israeli troops would then gradually withdraw from Gaza after Hamas disarms and an international security force is deployed to take over control of the Strip’s security.
A provisional oversight government would then be appointed to oversee post-war Gaza’s governance and recovery from the war, including rebuilding, which would be headed by Trump and former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair.
An interim administration of Palestinian technocrats would run day-to-day affairs. Hamas would have no part in administering Gaza, and all its military infrastructure would be dismantled.
Members who pledge to live peacefully would be granted amnesty while those who wish to leave Gaza, would be given safe passage to accepting countries.
Large levels of aid – matching January ceasefire levels of 600 trucks per day – would then be permitted into the Strip to address a pressing famine crisis, and would be administered by international organisations, including the United Nations.
What remains uncertain?
Questions that arise include the timing of key steps. One Hamas official said that it would need days or weeks to locate some hostages’ bodies who are buried under rubble.
Senior Hamas officials have suggested that there are still major disagreements requiring further negotiations. A key demand is for Hamas to disarm, but the group’s response on Friday made no mention of that.
A senior official, Mousa Abu Marzouk, said that Hamas was willing to hand over its weapons to a future Palestinian body that runs Gaza, but there was no mention of that in the group’s official statement responding to Trump’s plan.
Another official, Osama Hamdan, told Arabic media that Hamas would refuse foreign administration of the Gaza Strip and that the entry of foreign forces would be “unacceptable.”
Netanyahu has recently stated that Israel has accepted Trump’s plan in its entirety and are ready to move forward, but warned of grave military action if Hamas does not reciprocate.
The Israeli premier says the deal is a take it or leave it offer and resolutely rejected any Hamas amendments to the text or implementation.