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Indirect negotiations between Hamas and Israel for a Gaza ceasefire and prisoner swap deal resumed in Egypt on Tuesday, as the United Nations marked two years of what it called an "unprecedented humanitarian crisis".
Egyptian daily AlMasry Alyoum reported that Hamas and Israeli negotiators began a second day of negotiations in the Red Sea city of Sharm el-Sheikh.
Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari confirmed the resumption of the talks, saying that many details in U.S. President Donald Trump's Gaza plan "need discussion and negotiation" between the two sides.
Speaking at a press conference in Doha, Ansari said that Hamas and Israeli negotiators held talks for four hours on Monday to remove obstacles to a ceasefire in Gaza.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said discussions are underway on establishing a mechanism to ensure complete Israeli withdrawal and full access to humanitarian aid.
Speaking in a press conference with his Slovenian counterpart, Abdelatty expressed hope that the current round of negotiations would conclude with an end to the war and famine in Gaza, noting that "significant progress has been made."
The Egyptian minister added that current discussions in Sharm el-Sheikh are focusing on the establishment of a mechanism that will guarantee a complete Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip and unconditional entry of humanitarian aid into the enclave via U.N. channels.
He emphasized that the negotiations aim to consolidate the path of a just peace based on the two-state solution and complete unity between the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.
Abdelatty welcomed Trump's initiative, calling for launching a political process based on the current momentum that will lead to the establishment of an independent Palestinian state on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
According to Egypt's state-run Al-Qahera News, the first day of the negotiations concluded in a positive atmosphere.
Israeli public broadcaster KAN reported "optimism" both in Israel and the U.S., noting that it seems possible to reach an agreement by Sunday.
A U.S. delegation led by presidential envoy Steve Witkoff will join talks aimed at a truce in Gaza and hostage and prisoner exchange on Wednesday, Abdelatty said.
In a joint press conference with his German counterpart, Abdelatty said Tuesday he and Johann Wadephul "had a long conversation with Steve Witkoff, who is expected in Egypt in the coming hours."
On Sept. 29, Trump unveiled a 20-point proposal that includes the release of all Israeli captives in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, a ceasefire, the disarmament of Hamas and the rebuilding of Gaza. Hamas agreed to the plan in principle.
Qatar's foreign ministry spokesman said Israel should have ceased operations in Gaza already, in line with Trump's peace plan.
"We await the outcomes of the negotiations in the coming days regarding the ceasefire. This question should be directed first to the Israeli occupation government. It was supposed to actually cease fire if the statements made by the prime minister there regarding adherence to the Trump plan were true," Ansari told reporters in Doha.
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