High-profile negotiators have joined the ongoing peace talks in Egypt aimed at ending the two-year war in Gaza, even as Israeli attacks continue to claim civilian lives.
US Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff and son-in-law of Donald Trump Jared Kushner arrived in Sharm el-Sheikh on Wednesday. They joined Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman Al Thani and Turkey’s National Intelligence Organisation chief Ibrahim Kalin at the negotiation table.
As the talks entered their third day, at least eight Palestinians were killed and 61 others injured in fresh Israeli strikes across the Gaza Strip, according to reports from Al Jazeera, BBC, and CNN.
Meanwhile, Bangladesh has sought Turkey’s assistance for the release and repatriation of renowned photographer Shahidul Alam, who was detained by Israeli forces on Wednesday along with several other international activists.
According to reports, the Israeli navy intercepted a humanitarian flotilla approaching Gaza’s coast and detained those on board. The group was carrying relief supplies for Palestinians in the besieged territory.
Before his detention, Shahidul posted a video message on Facebook saying, “I am Shahidul Alam, a Bangladeshi photographer and writer. We have been attacked at sea and abducted by Israeli occupying forces. With the active support of the United States and other Western powers, Israel is carrying out a genocide in Gaza.”
Bangladesh ambassador to Turkey Md Amanul Haq said Dhaka is “in touch with Ankara for the release and repatriation of Shahidul Alam.”
It is mentionable that detainees released by Israeli authorities are transferred to Istanbul for repatriation to their respective countries.
Complex negotiations
The peace talks have brought together key regional and international players seeking to end the bloodshed. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi described the arrival of heavyweight mediators as “very encouraging,” while Israeli officials said they were “cautiously optimistic.”
However, a Palestinian official familiar with the discussions said that “deep gaps” remain between the parties, particularly over the interpretation of the 20-point peace framework proposed by US President Donald Trump.
Trump has thrown his full support behind the process, telling reporters that the United States would “do everything possible to ensure all parties adhere to the deal.” Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, however, expressed skepticism, saying Israeli attacks on Gaza were “the greatest obstacle on the path to peace.”
Since the conflict began on October 7, 2023, Israeli operations have killed at least 67,183 Palestinians, including more than 20,000 children, according to health authorities in Gaza.
Focus of the talks
The first two days of the Egypt peace talks centered on mechanisms to end the war, the phased withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza, and a possible exchange of prisoners and hostages.
Hamas has submitted a list of Palestinian detainees it wants released in exchange for the 48 hostages still believed to be in Gaza—around 20 of whom are thought to be alive. The list includes several high-profile prisoners such as Marwan Barghouti, widely seen as a potential successor to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.
Negotiators hope the participation of senior envoys from the US, Qatar, and Turkey will build momentum toward a breakthrough.
Disagreements over Trump’s plan
Despite international optimism, both sides remain deeply divided over key points of the proposed Trump peace plan. The disagreements centre on the scope and timing of Israeli troop withdrawals and the sequencing of the hostage-prisoner exchange.
Hamas insists that Israeli forces withdraw from Gaza’s main cities and return to positions they held in March to allow the group access to the hostages. Israel, however, wants to adhere to a withdrawal map distributed by the White House.
On the prisoner exchange issue, Hamas wants the release of hostages to be linked directly to the withdrawal timetable, while the Trump plan stipulates that all hostages be freed within 72 hours and that withdrawals be tied to the disarmament of Hamas.
Hamas’s chief negotiator Khalil al-Hayya said the group remains open to a deal but stressed that it needs “real guarantees” from Trump and the international community to ensure the war ends and does not resume under new pretexts.
Despite the divisions, regional observers believe the current momentum and the involvement of high-level mediators could make this round of talks the most significant diplomatic effort yet to halt the Gaza war.
