Israel-Hamas negotiators and several mediating countries gathered in Cairo on Sunday for renewed talks seek end of Gaza war and ensure hostages release by Hamas, reports AFP.
The diplomatic momentum follows a rare positive signal from Hamas, accepted key terms of US President Donald Trump’s proposed peace roadmap — a plan that includes hostage exchanges and outlines post-war governance for Gaza.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Saturday that he had instructed his team to travel to Egypt “to finalise the remaining technical arrangements.”
Cairo confirmed that it would also host a Hamas delegation to discuss “conditions on the ground and mechanisms for a comprehensive exchange of detainees and prisoners.”
State-affiliated Egyptian outlets reported that indirect talks between the two sides were expected to continue through Sunday and Monday.
The White House said Trump had dispatched his son-in-law Jared Kushner and senior adviser Steve Witkoff to Cairo to facilitate the discussions.
Trump warned Hamas not to stall the process, saying the United States would “not tolerate unnecessary delays” and any obstruction “will have consequences.”
Netanyahu expresses cautious optimism
In a televised address, Netanyahu said “sustained military and diplomatic pressure” had forced Hamas to make concessions.
“I believe we can bring our hostages home in the coming days, perhaps even during the Sukkot holidays,” he said, referring to the Jewish festival that begins Monday.
Late Friday, Hamas announced its consent to release “all hostages, both living and deceased,” under the framework of Trump’s proposal.
The US president hailed the declaration as proof that the group was “ready for a lasting peace” and urged Israel to halt airstrikes immediately.
Netanyahu, however, emphasized that disarmament of Hamas was non-negotiable. “Whether through Trump’s plan or through our own operations, Hamas will be disarmed,” he said.
Meanwhile, demonstrations erupted in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem late Saturday, with crowds demanding an end to the war and urging Trump to secure a final agreement.
The Cairo negotiations come just days before the second anniversary of Hamas’s 7 October, 2023 assault on Israel — the attack that ignited the ongoing war.
Heavy bombardment despite ceasefire calls
Despite international appeals for calm, Israeli forces carried out new airstrikes across Gaza on Saturday. The Hamas-run Civil Defence Agency said 57 people were killed since dawn, including 40 in Gaza City alone.
“Instead of pausing attacks, Israel seems to have intensified them,” said Mahmud al-Ghazi, a resident of Gaza’s Al-Rimal neighbourhood. “If the talks don’t succeed soon, this bloodshed will never stop.”
The Israeli military said its troops were continuing ground operations in Gaza City and warned residents not to return, calling the area “extremely unsafe.”
Post-war Gaza is under discussion
Egypt, a key intermediary in most previous truce efforts, is also expected to host a follow-up conference for Palestinian factions to discuss Gaza’s post-war administration.
Hamas has demanded inclusion in any future political arrangement — a point directly at odds with Trump’s plan, which bars the group from holding power.
The roadmap calls for a complete ceasefire, the release of all captives within 72 hours, Israel’s phased withdrawal, and the creation of a technocratic governing body under an international transitional authority chaired by Trump himself.
Scenes of relief, but uncertainty remains
An AFP journalist in the coastal zone of Al-Mawasi reported that displaced families cheered upon hearing of Hamas’s statement, shouting “Allahu akbar!” as news of the potential ceasefire spread.
“The best thing is that Trump himself announced it,” said Sami Adas, 50, who lives in a tent with his family in Gaza City. “This time, maybe Israel won’t be able to ignore him.”
Hamas’s 2023 assault killed 1,219 people in Israel, mostly civilians, according to official figures.
In response, Israel’s massive military campaign has killed at least 67,000 Palestinians, Gaza’s health ministry said — more than half of them women and children, according to United Nations-verified data.
As the Cairo talks begin, both sides remain deeply divided over key terms, yet for war-weary civilians on both sides, even a fragile truce could mark the first glimpse of relief after two relentless years of destruction.
