As negotiators reconvened in the Egyptian resort city of Sharm El-Sheikh on Tuesday, U.S. President Donald Trump said there was a “really good chance” of securing a peace deal to end the Gaza war — one he described as potentially “lasting.”
The talks, mediated by Egyptian and Qatari officials, are aimed at implementing the first phase of a 20-point U.S. plan that seeks to halt hostilities and free Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners. Officials from both sides are not meeting directly; instead, mediators are shuttling between delegations from Israel and Hamas.
Palestinian and Egyptian sources said the discussions were focused on “creating the field conditions” for an exchange that could bring home dozens of hostages, including some believed to be dead. Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, said over the weekend that he hoped to announce releases “in the coming days.”
The renewed diplomacy coincides with the second anniversary of the October 7 Hamas attack that killed about 1,200 Israelis and took 251 hostage, triggering the Israeli military campaign in Gaza. According to Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry, more than 67,000 Palestinians — including 18,000 children — have been killed since then.
Trump’s plan, agreed in principle with Netanyahu, calls for an immediate ceasefire and the release of 48 hostages, alongside the delivery of humanitarian aid. It also outlines the eventual establishment of a Palestinian state but bars Hamas from any governing role in Gaza — a condition the group has not accepted.
Hamas, in a statement last week, said it supported parts of the proposal and agreed in principle to exchange “all Israeli prisoners” if certain terms were met. However, the group has not committed to disarmament or withdrawal from political life.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres called the U.S. plan “an opportunity that must be seized,” while UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer voiced full support for Washington’s push.
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A senior Israeli security official told reporters the first phase would center on hostage release before moving to broader political issues. “This is the most consequential moment since the war began,” the official said.
Talks will continue on Tuesday, with what one Egyptian mediator described as a “cautious but genuine optimism.”
