Hamas and Israel Begin Talks in Egypt Under Trump’s Gaza Peace Plan

Delegations from Hamas and Israel began indirect negotiations in Egypt on Monday, seeking to end the nearly two-year war in Gaza. US President Donald Trump expressed confidence that the Palestinian militant group was willing to compromise over his proposed peace deal.

According to Al-Qahera News, affiliated with Egyptian state intelligence, the first round of talks concluded “amid a positive atmosphere” and is scheduled to continue on Tuesday.

• Negotiations are being conducted behind closed doors and under tight security.
• Delegates communicate via mediators shuttling between the sides, only weeks after Israel attempted to target Hamas’s lead negotiators in Qatar.

Al-Qahera News reported that discussions are focused on preparing conditions for the release of detainees and prisoners, including establishing a mechanism for hostage exchanges: Palestinians held in Israeli jails for hostages in Gaza.

President Trump told reporters at the White House: “I think Hamas has been agreeing to things that are very important… I think we’re going to have a deal.”

Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff and his son-in-law Jared Kushner are expected to travel to Egypt to facilitate the talks, urging negotiators to “move fast” to end the conflict.

Khalil al-Hayya, Hamas’s lead negotiator and a survivor of the Israeli attack in Doha last month, met with Egyptian intelligence officials ahead of the talks.

A Palestinian source close to Hamas leadership said the negotiations, launched on the eve of the second anniversary of the October 7, 2023 attack, may last several days. He warned: “We expect the negotiations to be difficult and complex, given the occupation’s intentions to continue its war of extermination.”

Despite negotiations, Israeli strikes continued on Monday:

Trump’s plan calls for a hostage-prisoner exchange, including 47 hostages in Gaza for hundreds of Palestinian detainees held by Israel.

Both Hamas and Israel have welcomed Trump’s proposal, but achieving agreement is expected to be a Herculean task:

• Hamas Disarmament: Proposed, but unlikely to be accepted.
• Israeli Withdrawal: Plan envisages a gradual pullback; however, PM Benjamin Netanyahu insists troops will be redeployed “deep inside” Gaza while securing hostages’ release.

A Hamas official indicated that the first phase of the plan will take several days and depends on:

1. Israeli troop withdrawal
2. Cessation of bombardment
3. Suspension of all air operations

Negotiations also aim to set a date for a temporary truce. The International Committee of the Red Cross has offered to facilitate both the hostage exchange and humanitarian aid access.

Humanitarian Impact

Residents of Gaza continue to suffer:

“The war has destroyed everything I built throughout my life,” said Mohammed Abu Sultan, 49, who fled Gaza City with 20 family members.
“We have been running from death for two years.”

• Military operations: Hamas may halt military activity if Israel stops bombing and withdraws troops.
• Israeli warning: Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir cautioned that the military would return to fighting if negotiations fail.

Hostage and Prisoner Figures

Hamas insists on having a role in Gaza’s future, though Trump’s plan stipulates governance by a technocratic transitional authority overseen by Trump himself.

Ahmad Barbakh, from Al-Mawasi, commented: “We hope Trump will pressure Netanyahu and force him to stop the war. We want the prisoner exchange deal to be completed quickly so that Israel has no excuse to continue the war.”