DaysofPal – Indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas resumed on Monday in the Egyptian resort city of Sharm el-Sheikh, ending their first day on what mediators described as a “positive note.” The renewed talks, attended by delegations from both sides and overseen by Egyptian and U.S. mediators, are aimed at implementing U.S. President Donald Trump’s 20-point plan to end the war on Gaza.
According to media reports, the first day produced a roadmap outlining how discussions will continue in the coming days. The agenda included key issues such as a prisoner and captive exchange, a ceasefire, and the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza—where two years of devastating warfare have left tens of thousands dead and much of the territory in ruins.
Hamas negotiators told mediators that Israel’s continued bombing of Gaza poses a serious challenge to progress, particularly regarding the release of captives. The delegation, led by senior Hamas officials Khalil al-Hayya and Zaher Jabarin, both of whom survived an Israeli assassination attempt in Qatar last month that killed five others, reiterated that Israel must halt its attacks for any meaningful agreement to take shape.
Egypt’s state-linked Al-Qahera News confirmed that technical discussions are underway to define the parameters of an initial exchange of captives and prisoners. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said President Trump was pressing for an early exchange to “build momentum” toward implementing broader elements of his plan.
“The technical teams are discussing that as we speak, to ensure that the environment is perfect to release those hostages,” Leavitt said. She added that the teams were currently reviewing “the list of both the Israeli hostages and also the political prisoners who will be released.”
Speaking later from the Oval Office, Trump said there was “a really good chance of making a deal,” though he also emphasized that he had his own “red lines.” “I think we’re doing very well,” he told reporters. “And I think Hamas has been agreeing to things that are very important.”
Reporting from Washington, DC, Al Jazeera’s Rosiland Jordan noted that Trump provided few details about the talks, offering instead a generally optimistic assessment. “The U.S. president was also very complimentary of the joint Arab-Turkish support to keep Hamas at the bargaining table,” she said, adding that Trump praised “the Israeli people” and “his own special envoy, Steve Witkoff,” who is leading the U.S. delegation alongside Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner.
The talks are set to continue on Tuesday—coinciding with the second anniversary of the Hamas attack on Israel that killed 1,139 people and led to about 200 being taken captive. Since then, Israel’s military response has killed at least 67,160 Palestinians and wounded 169,679 others in Gaza, according to local health authorities. The war has been described as genocidal by a United Nations inquiry, genocide scholars, and major human rights groups, including Israeli organizations.
Even as negotiations resumed, violence continued on the ground. Israeli attacks across Gaza on Monday killed at least 10 Palestinians, including three people seeking humanitarian aid, according to Al Jazeera sources.
Marking the anniversary of the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres posted on social media that the event was an “abhorrent large-scale terror attack on Israel.” He also welcomed Trump’s new proposal, calling it “an opportunity that must be seized to bring this tragic conflict to an end.”
“A permanent ceasefire and a credible political process are essential to prevent further bloodshed and pave the way for peace,” Guterres wrote.
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