Cairo peace talks offer new hope for Gaza as Hamas signals readiness for truce
The talks, mediated by Egypt and supported by the United States, follow Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s statement that a hostage release deal could be announced later this week.
Israel and Hamas are set to begin indirect negotiations in Egypt on Monday, raising hopes for a possible ceasefire in Gaza after nearly two years of devastating conflict.
The talks, mediated by Egypt and supported by the United States, follow Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s statement that a hostage release deal could be announced later this week.
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The development came after Hamas said it had accepted parts of a new US-backed peace proposal welcomed by President Donald Trump.
Under the proposed plan, Hamas would release the remaining 48 hostages within three days, disarm, and hand over control of Gaza in exchange for Israel’s phased withdrawal and international assistance to rebuild the war-torn territory.
A representative from Egypt’s foreign ministry, who spoke to AP News on condition of anonymity, said the negotiations will focus on a possible exchange of hostages for Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails. US envoy Steve Witkoff is expected to attend.
Expressed optimism
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar expressed optimism that the talks could deliver “the first major breakthrough since the last ceasefire in January,” while US Secretary of State Marco Rubio noted that the negotiations represent “the closest we’ve come to getting all of the hostages released.”
The international community has voiced growing support for the peace initiative. On Sunday, the foreign ministers of eight Muslim-majority countries released a joint statement welcoming progress toward a ceasefire and endorsing Hamas’s readiness to transfer Gaza’s administration to a transitional authority.
Airstrikes continue
However, despite Trump’s reported directive for Israel to halt its assault, residents and hospital officials in Gaza said airstrikes continued across the enclave on Sunday.
Shifa Hospital in Gaza City reported at least eight deaths, while Nasser Hospital in Rafah confirmed that four more people were shot dead near an aid distribution point.
Israeli officials denied that a ceasefire was in effect. Government spokeswoman Shosh Badrosian said Netanyahu “remains in constant contact with Trump” and emphasised that the Cairo talks “will be limited to a few days at most, with no tolerance for delays by Hamas.”
According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, the war — which began on October 7, 2023, after Israel launched a large-scale invasion following a deadly Hamas attack — has claimed 67,139 lives and left nearly 170,000 people injured as of Sunday.
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