The indirect negotiations are taking place in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh where the Israeli delegation, headed by top negotiator Ron Dermer, was set to arrive Monday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said.
Hamas’ delegation, headed by Khalil al-Hayyah, arrived Sunday in Egypt, the group said in a statement.
It said the negotiations will focus on the first stage of a ceasefire, including the partial withdrawal of Israeli forces as well as the release of hostages held by the terrorists in Gaza in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli detention.
U.S. Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner are also expected to join the talks, Egypt’s state-run Al-Ahram reported.
This latest push for peace comes after Hamas accepted some elements of the U.S. peace plan, a move welcomed by Trump. Israel has said it supported the new U.S. effort. Under the plan, Hamas would release the remaining 48 hostages — about 20 believed to be alive — within three days. It would give up power and disarm.
The talks in Egypt are expected to move fast as Netanyahu said they would be “confined to a few days maximum,” though some Hamas officials have warned more time may be needed to locate bodies of hostages buried under rubble.
Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi on Monday hailed Trump’s efforts to stop the war in Gaza.
“A ceasefire, the return of hostages and detainees, the reconstruction of Gaza, and the start of a peaceful political process leading to the establishment and recognition of a Palestinian state mean that we are on the right path toward lasting peace and solid stability,” he said.
He underscored importance of preserving the U.S.-crafted “peace system” in the Middle East since the 1970s, which he said “served as a strategic framework for regional stability."
El-Sisi made the remarks in a televised address commemorating the anniversary of the Oct. 6, 1973, war with Israel that led to Egypt reclaiming the Sinai Peninsula, where Sharm el-Sheikh is located.
Tamping down bombing
Israel's heavy bombardment of Gaza would need to stop for Israeli hostages to be released. Israel says it's largely heeding Trump's call for ending the bombing. The Israeli military said its is mostly carrying out defensive strikes to protect troops, though dozens of Palestinians have been killed since Saturday night when the military made the announcement.
The Israeli military said Monday that it eliminated “a terrorist cell armed with explosive devices and mortars" that on Sunday intended to attack Israeli soldiers.
It also destroyed another “terrorist cell” that launched a mortar injuring one soldier, as well as a structure from where an anti-tack missile was launched against Israeli army engineering machinery.
Hamas-led terrorists abducted 251 people and killed around 1,200, mostly civilians in the Oct. 7 attack. Most of the hostages have been released in ceasefire or other deals.
