Indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas began Monday in the Egyptian resort city of Sharm el-Sheikh, as both sides move to implement former U.S. President Donald Trump’s 20-point Gaza peace plan, amid renewed fighting and deepening humanitarian concerns.
The talks — facilitated by U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff, Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, and Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani — mark the first tangible diplomatic engagement between the warring sides since the announcement of Trump’s initiative.
Hamas has reportedly agreed in principle to release around 20 remaining Israeli hostages, though it has not accepted all aspects of the plan. The group’s delegation is led by Khalil al-Hayaa, who narrowly survived an Israeli assassination attempt in Qatar last month. Israel’s team is headed by Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer.
Over the weekend, Trump described the talks as “very positive” and “proceeding rapidly,” urging both sides to act without delay.
“MOVE FAST,” he wrote on social media, warning that “delays could lead to massive bloodshed.”
He also called on Israel to pause its bombing campaign in Gaza to allow for the safe release of hostages.
Despite the negotiations, Israeli airstrikes continued overnight in Gaza City. According to Mahmoud Basal, spokesman for Gaza’s Civil Defense, at least 24 Palestinians were killed in the past 24 hours as bombardments struck residential areas, industrial zones, university districts, and the al-Shifa hospital compound.
Basal said no humanitarian aid trucks have reached Gaza City in four weeks, leaving rescue teams struggling to recover bodies from destroyed neighborhoods, including Tel al-Hawa, al-Jalaa, al-Tuffah, and Beach Camp.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday he hoped to announce the release of hostages “in the coming days,” suggesting early progress in the Egyptian-mediated discussions.
Analysts say the Sharm el-Sheikh talks could prove pivotal, balancing hostages’ release, ceasefire arrangements, and longer-term provisions of Trump’s proposed peace framework.
As diplomacy unfolds, international attention remains fixed on the humanitarian toll of the Gaza conflict and on whether U.S.-backed mediation can bring the first sustained pause in hostilities since the war began.
