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Israel and Hamas are set to begin mediated negotiations Monday (Oct. 6) in Egypt aimed at ending nearly two years of conflict in Gaza, following Hamas' positive response to U.S. President Donald Trump's peace plan.
Egypt will host delegations from both sides to discuss a possible exchange of Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners, Egyptian state-linked media reported.
The talks will take place in Sharm el-Sheikh with indirect negotiations between the parties.
U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner were traveling to Egypt to participate in the negotiations, which follow Hamas's request to discuss elements of Trump's 20-point plan.
A senior Hamas official speaking to AFP on Sunday said the group is eager to reach an agreement to end the war and implement a prisoner swap with Israel.
"Hamas is very keen to reach an agreement to end the war and immediately begin the prisoner exchange process in accordance with the field conditions," the official said on condition of anonymity, as he was not authorized to speak on the matter.
"The occupation must not obstruct the implementation of President Trump's plan. If the occupation has genuine intentions to reach an agreement, Hamas is ready," the official added.
Hamas negotiators traveling from Doha arrived in Cairo on Sunday before heading to Sharm el-Sheikh, the official said.
A Palestinian source close to Hamas told AFP the two delegations would be in the same building but away from media coverage.
"During communications with mediators, Hamas insisted that it is essential for Israel to halt military operations across all areas of the Gaza Strip, cease all air, reconnaissance and drone activity, and withdraw from inside Gaza City," the source said.
"In parallel with the cessation of Israeli military activity, Hamas and the resistance factions will also halt their military operations and actions," the source added.
The talks will include discussions of maps to be provided by Israel, showing withdrawal routes and timelines that coincide with the prisoner exchange process, according to the source.
The Hamas delegation will present lists of Palestinian prisoners who Israel must release in return for Israeli captives, the source said.
According to Trump's plan, Israel is expected to release 250 Palestinian prisoners with life sentences and over 1,700 detainees from Gaza arrested after Oct. 7, 2023.
The Israeli delegation in Egypt will include Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, according to Israeli media reports.
Ghazi Hamad, senior Hamas official Osama Hamdan, and Hamas Leadership Council Chairman Mohammed Ismail Darwish are reportedly set to represent Hamas.
"After negotiations, Israel has agreed to the initial withdrawal line, which we have shown to, and shared with, Hamas," Trump said Saturday on social media.
"When Hamas confirms, the Ceasefire will be IMMEDIATELY effective, the Hostages and Prisoner Exchange will begin, and we will create the conditions for the next phase of withdrawal, which will bring us close to the end of this 3,000 YEAR CATASTROPHE," he added.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu welcomed the emerging deal but cautioned it wasn't final. An Israeli official speaking to Bloomberg stated that the Israeli military had assumed a "defensive posture" in Gaza City, while Hamas said airstrikes and shelling continued, killing dozens of people.
"I hope that in the coming days, during the Sukkot holiday, we can announce the return of all of our hostages, alive and dead, in one single release," Netanyahu said on Israeli television Saturday.
A swap of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners would happen immediately upon securing an agreement, while Hamas's disarmament would come in a second stage, Netanyahu said.
Hamas' top negotiator Khalil al-Hayya broke his silence in a pre-recorded statement that aired in Qatar overnight, in his first televised appearance since Israel targeted him and other leaders in Doha last month.
Hamas's top officials are believed to have survived the targeted strike, which killed six people and sparked criticism, including a rebuke from Trump.
"We hope that their blood will pave the way to victory, the way to Jerusalem, the way to the disgrace of the occupation, and the way to the dignity and triumph of the nation," al-Hayya said in the video aired by Al Araby Television Network in Qatar.
Saudi Arabian media reported al-Hayya will represent Hamas in the Egypt-based negotiations.
In a Hamas-released video, al-Hayya said, "The massacre and destruction happening in Gaza makes me forget the pain of losing my son. For me, there is no difference between any Palestinian child killed by occupying Israel and my own children."
Al-Hayya's son was among five, including one Qatari security officer, killed in Israel's Sept. 9 strike in Doha. Qatar condemned the attack and said it reserved the right to respond.
Israeli officials said afterward that the strike failed to neutralize any senior Hamas officials.
Egyptian state-linked media reported that the talks will take place on Sunday and Monday, just before the second anniversary of Oct. 7.
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