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Israeli and Hamas negotiators engaged in a second day of indirect talks through Egyptian and Qatari mediators on Tuesday, working toward a comprehensive ceasefire agreement nearly years after the Oct. 7, 2023, attack that ignited the Gaza war.
The negotiations, held under tight security in the Red Sea resort town, concluded with what Egyptian state-linked media described as "a positive atmosphere," though significant obstacles remain. Talks are scheduled to resume Wednesday with the arrival of high-level American, Qatari and Turkish officials.
At the heart of the discussions is a 20-point proposal by U.S. President Donald Trump that envisions a phased hostage-prisoner exchange, Israeli military withdrawal from Gaza and the eventual disarmament of Hamas. Trump told reporters at the White House on Monday he believed a deal was within reach.
"I think Hamas has been agreeing to things that are very important... I think we're going to have a deal," Trump said, adding he was "pretty sure" peace was possible.
Hamas's lead negotiator, Khalil al-Hayya, who survived an Israeli assassination attempt in Doha last month, made clear Tuesday that his group requires concrete assurances before agreeing to any arrangement.
"We do not trust the occupation, not even for a second," al-Hayya told Egyptian state-linked media Al-Qahera News. "The Israeli occupation throughout history does not keep its promises, and we have experienced it twice in this war. Therefore, we want real guarantees."
Al-Hayya accused Israel of violating two previous ceasefires during the current conflict and said Hamas "wants guarantees from President Trump and the sponsor countries that the war will end once and for all."
Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty announced Tuesday that a U.S. delegation led by presidential envoy Steve Witkoff would join the negotiations Wednesday. Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner is also expected to participate. Türkiye's intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin will also join the discussions after bilateral meetings with U.S., Egyptian, Qatari and Hamas officials.
According to Al-Qahera News, negotiators on Tuesday began discussing specific lists of prisoners and detainees to be exchanged. Hamas is demanding the release of several high-profile Palestinian inmates, including Marwan Barghouti, a leading Fatah party member imprisoned since 2002. Other names reportedly under discussion include Ahmad Saadat, Hassan Salameh and Abbas Al-Sayed.
Under Trump's proposal, 47 hostages currently held in Gaza would be released in exchange for 250 Palestinian prisoners serving life sentences and more than 1,700 detainees from Gaza captured during the war.
Of the 251 hostages seized during the Oct. 7, 2023, attack, 47 remain in Gaza. The Israeli military says 25 of those are dead.
A Palestinian source close to Hamas leadership told AFP the initial hostage-prisoner exchange will "require several days, depending on field conditions related to Israeli withdrawals, the cessation of bombardment and the suspension of all types of air operations."
The negotiations face formidable challenges. Trump's plan calls for Hamas to be disarmed and excluded from Gaza's future governance—conditions the group is unlikely to accept. Hamas has insisted it must have a say in the territory's future administration.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to redeploy troops "deep inside" Gaza while securing hostage releases, even as the Trump proposal envisions a gradual Israeli withdrawal. Israeli military chief Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir warned that if negotiations fail, the militarywould "return to fighting."
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Monday that Israel must stop bombing Gaza, yet Israeli airstrikes continued during the talks. At least seven Palestinians were killed in strikes Monday, according to Gaza's civil defense agency spokesman Mahmud Bassal.
The war has devastated Gaza, where the United Nations has declared a famine. The Hamas-run health ministry reports at least 67,160 Palestinians have been killed in Israel's retaliatory offensive—figures the U.N. considers reliable.
"The war has destroyed everything I built throughout my life," said Mohammed Abu Sultan, 49, who fled Gaza City with 20 family members to Nuseirat camp. "We have been running from death for two years."
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The Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack resulted in 1,219 deaths, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of Israeli official figures.
Hamas spokesperson Fawzi Barhoum outlined his group's demands in a statement, calling for "a permanent and comprehensive ceasefire, a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, unrestricted entry of humanitarian and relief aid, the return of displaced people to their homes, and a fair prisoner exchange deal."
The International Committee of the Red Cross said it stands ready to facilitate hostage and detainee returns and to help deliver aid across Gaza.
In Al-Mawasi, displaced resident Ahmad Barbakh expressed the desperation felt by many Gazans. "We hope Trump will pressure Netanyahu and force him to stop the war," he said. "We want the prisoner exchange deal to be completed quickly so that Israel has no excuse to continue the war."
The talks mark the most significant diplomatic effort to end the conflict since it began, launched symbolically on the eve of the second anniversary of the attack that started the war.
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