Delegations from Hamas, Israel, and the United States are expected to meet in Egypt on Monday for high-stakes talks aimed at ending the nearly two-year-long Gaza war. The negotiations, taking place in Cairo and Sharm El-Sheikh, come with U.S. President Donald Trump urging both sides to “move fast” on a deal that would bring temporary peace and secure hostage releases.
Trump’s Proposal
Trump’s peace plan calls for the disarmament of Hamas and the full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza — a proposal experts believe Hamas is unlikely to accept. It also includes the release of hostages held in Gaza in exchange for Palestinian prisoners detained in Israel.
According to Trump, the first phase of the plan should be completed this week, involving the release of 47 hostages in return for hundreds of Palestinian detainees, including those serving life sentences.
Support and Reactions
On Sunday, Trump praised “positive discussions with Hamas” and partners across the Arab and Muslim world. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi backed the plan, describing it as “the right path to lasting peace and stability.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also confirmed that Israel’s delegation would leave for Egypt on Monday, expressing hope that hostages could be released “within days.”
The White House revealed that Trump has dispatched Jared Kushner and Middle East negotiator Steve Witkoff to join the mediation efforts.
Ceasefire Talks Amid Ongoing Bombardment
Despite ongoing negotiations, AFP footage showed multiple explosions in Gaza on Monday. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio pressed Israel to halt strikes, warning: “You can’t release hostages in the middle of strikes, so the strikes will have to stop.”
A Hamas source said the group is prepared to pause military operations if Israel simultaneously halts bombardments and withdraws troops from Gaza City. Residents have reported a slight reduction in air strikes and a limited pullback of Israeli tanks.
Still, Gaza’s civil defence agency said Israeli attacks killed at least 20 people on Sunday, including 13 in Gaza City.
Risks if Talks Fail
Israeli military chief Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir warned that if negotiations collapse, the army would “return to fighting” in Gaza.
Militants had seized 251 hostages during Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack, of which 47 remain in Gaza. The Israeli military says 25 of them are dead.
According to Trump’s plan, Israel would release 250 prisoners serving life sentences and more than 1,700 detainees captured during the war in exchange for the remaining hostages.
Hamas’s Future Role Disputed
While Hamas insists it should have a role in governing Gaza, Trump’s roadmap bars the group and other factions from any future political control. Instead, the territory would be managed by a technocratic body overseen by a transitional authority headed by Trump himself.
Some Palestinians expressed cautious hope. Ahmad Barbakh, a resident of Al-Mawasi, said: “We hope Trump will pressure Netanyahu and force him to stop the war. We want the prisoner exchange deal to be completed quickly so Israel has no excuse to continue fighting.”
The war, triggered by Hamas’s October 2023 attack which killed 1,219 people in Israel, has since claimed the lives of at least 67,139 Palestinians, according to health ministry figures in Gaza cited by the United Nations.
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