Egypt hosts Hamas, Israeli delegations for talks

Israeli and Hamas officials are set to hold indirect talks at an Egyptian resort Monday on a U.S.-drafted peace plan to end the ruinous war in Gaza on the eve of its second anniversary.

Many uncertainties remain about the plan, including the disarmament of the resistance group — a key Israeli demand — and the future governance of Gaza. Trump is seeking an agreement on Gaza, which he has indicated could pave the way for a revamped Middle East peace process that could reshape the region.

While the two sides get ready for talks and despite U.S. President Donald Trump ordering Israel to stop the bombing, Israel continued to pound Gaza with airstrikes, killing 19 in the last 24 hours, Gaza's Health Ministry said.

The indirect negotiations will take place in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh where the Israeli delegation, headed by top negotiator Ron Dermer, is set to arrive Monday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said.

Hamas’ delegation, headed by Khalil al-Hayyah, arrived Sunday in Egypt, the group said in a statement.

al-Hayya, the head of the group’s negotiating team was targeted in an assassination attempt by Israel in Qatar last month.

The group said the negotiations will focus on the first stage of a ceasefire, including the partial withdrawal of Israeli forces as well as the release of hostages held by the militants in Gaza in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli detention.

U.S. Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner are also expected to join the talks, Egypt’s state-run al-Ahram reported.

This latest push for peace comes after Hamas accepted some elements of the U.S. plan that Israel also said it supported. Under the plan, Hamas would release the remaining 48 captives within three days. It would give up power and disarm.

The talks in Egypt are expected to move fast as Netanyahu said they would be “confined to a few days maximum,” though some Hamas officials have warned more time may be needed to locate bodies of hostages buried under rubble.

Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi hailed Trump’s efforts.

“A ceasefire, the return of hostages and detainees, the Reconstruction of Gaza, and the start of a peaceful political process leading to the establishment and recognition of a Palestinian state mean that we are on the right path toward lasting peace and solid stability,” he said.

He underscored importance of preserving the U.S.-crafted “peace system” in the Middle East since the 1970s, which he said “served as a strategic framework for regional stability.”

El-Sisi made the remarks in a televised address commemorating the anniversary of the Oct. 6, 1973, war with Israel that led to Egypt reclaiming the Sinai Peninsula, where Sharm el-Sheikh is located.