Trump-brokered Gaza peace talks begin in Egypt as Hamas, Israel join negotiations

Cairo [Egypt], October 7 : Delegations from Hamas, Israel, and the United States are set to meet in Egypt on Monday to begin indirect negotiations on US President Donald Trump's 20-point proposal to end the war in Gaza, Al Jazeera reported.

According to Al Jazeera, the talks will take place in Egypt's Red Sea resort city of Sharm el-Sheikh and come on the eve of the second anniversary of the Hamas attacks on Israel that triggered the ongoing war. The discussions have raised cautious hopes that the prolonged conflict, which has killed tens of thousands in Gaza, could finally move towards resolution.

Trump has stated that both sides have agreed to the peace framework and urged negotiators to "move fast" to reach an agreement. "These talks have been very successful, and proceeding rapidly," he said on Truth Social, adding, "I am asking everyone to move fast ... time is of the essence, or massive bloodshed will follow."

Despite several failed initiatives and two short-lived ceasefires, Trump said "the first phase should be completed this week," adding that there had been "very positive discussions with Hamas" and other governments "to release the hostages, end the War in Gaza but, more importantly, finally have long sought peace in the Middle East."

As per Al Jazeera, the negotiations will centre on key elements of the plan, including the release of 48 Israeli captives held by Hamas, 20 of whom are believed to be alive, in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails.

Hamas has reportedly agreed to relinquish power in Gaza, while Israel has committed to withdrawing its forces from the enclave. However, the proposal remains vague on several crucial points, including a timeline for Hamas's disarmament and the unclear framework for establishing a Palestinian state.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the release of captives could be announced this week, while Israeli forces continued operations across Gaza ahead of the talks. Al Jazeera reported that seven people were killed on Monday morning, including three civilians who were waiting for humanitarian aid.

Nour Odeh, reporting from Amman, noted that while Trump has been optimistic, "there are a lot of details that could potentially derail" the negotiations. She added that sticking points include Israel's demand that all hostages be released within 72 hours and its insistence on maintaining the right to target Hamas even after withdrawal.

In addition, Israeli media reports said that the process would initially involve Hamas representatives meeting with mediators, while Israeli and US delegations are expected to join later in the week.

Trump has called for an immediate halt to Israel's bombardment to allow negotiations to proceed. However, Israeli government spokesperson Shosh Bedrosian said on Sunday that military operations would continue for "defensive purposes" and that "there was no ceasefire in place."

Speaking to ABC's This Week, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio outlined two phases under Trump's plan. "First, the Israeli captives would be released by Hamas, and then Israel would pull back in Gaza to the 'yellow line', where its military was positioned in August," he said. Rubio added that Hamas should release hostages as soon as possible and that the bombardment must stop to facilitate their release.

The future of Hamas remains a contentious issue. Trump's plan calls for Gaza's demilitarisation and rules out any future governing role for Hamas, although it allows its members to remain if they renounce violence and disarm.

Hamas has responded positively, saying it is prepared to negotiate the captives' release and take part in a "Palestinian national framework" to shape Gaza's future, Al Jazeera said.

However, this has sparked fierce opposition within Israel's ruling coalition. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir declared that his party, Otzma Yehudit, would leave the government if Hamas were allowed to remain in any form. "Alongside the important goal in and of itself of releasing the hostages, the central goal of the war... is that the terrorist organisation Hamas cannot be allowed to remain in existence," he said.

He warned that accepting any deal that allowed Hamas to survive would be "a national defeat that will bring eternal shame to the world."

Opposition leader Yair Lapid, however, pledged to back Netanyahu's government during negotiations to prevent it from collapsing under pressure from "extremist and irresponsible partners," Al Jazeera reported.

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