The negotiations on President Donald Trump's plan were set to begin on the eve of the second anniversary of the Hamas attack on Israel that triggered the war, when fighters killed 1,200 people and took 251 hostages, the deadliest day for Jews since the Holocaust.
Two Israeli sources said the Israeli negotiators had arrived in Egypt's Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh for the talks, focused on freeing hostages, part of the U.S. president's 20-point blueprint for ending the conflict. Hamas officials had already arrived earlier in the day.
“If there is a deal, then we survive. If there isn’t, it is like we have been sentenced to death,“ said Gharam Mohammad, 20, displaced along with her family in central Gaza.
A Palestinian official close to the talks was sceptical about prospects of a breakthrough given deep mutual mistrust, saying Hamas and other Palestinian factions were worried that Israel - led by the most far-right government in its history - might ditch negotiations once it recovered the hostages.
However, Israel's chief negotiator, Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, was only expected to join later this week, pending developments in the negotiations, according to three Israeli officials. Spokespeople for Dermer and the prime minister did not immediately comment.
Negotiators from Hamas will seek clarity on the mechanism to achieve a swap of remaining hostages - both alive and dead - for Palestinian prisoners held in Israel, as well as an Israeli military withdrawal from Gaza and a ceasefire, according to a statement put out by the Islamist group late on Sunday.
Netanyahu, whose country has become internationally isolated over its devastation of Gaza, says a Palestinian state will never transpire. Britain, France and several other Western countries recognised Palestinian independence last month.
Hamas, israel agree to fundamentals of plan
“I am told that the first phase should be completed this week, and I am asking everyone to MOVE FAST,“ Trump said in a social media post.
Israel has eased up on its attacks on Gaza in the past 24 hours that preceded the Gaza talks, with the enclave's health ministry reporting a retreat in the relentless daily death toll.
Trump, who brokered normalisation deals with Israel and several Arab states during his first term in 2020, has said his Gaza plan could usher in a wider peace across the Middle East and transform the region.
Hamas on Friday approved a hostage release and some other elements of Trump's plan but sidestepped trickier points, including calls for the group to disarm and yield power in Gaza, which it seized in 2007 after a brief civil war with rivals.
Far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said on X that ceasing the military campaign would be a “grave mistake”. He and Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir have threatened to bring down Netanyahu’s government if the war ends - REUTERS
Hence then, the article about negotiators gather for gaza talks under trump plan swift deal unlikely was published today ( ) and is available on Daily Sun ( Middle East ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( Negotiators gather for Gaza talks under Trump plan, swift deal unlikely )
Also on site :