The first day of resumed indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas in Egypt concluded on a cautiously hopeful note, as both sides began exploring steps to implement U.S. President Donald Trump’s 20-point proposal to end the Gaza war.
Diplomatic sources confirmed to Africa Today News, New York that Monday’s talks in the Red Sea resort city of Sharm el-Sheikh were “positive in tone,” producing a preliminary roadmap to guide discussions over the coming days. Negotiators are expected to reconvene on Tuesday.
Reports from Al Jazeera Arabic indicated that Hamas representatives warned mediators that Israel’s ongoing bombardment of Gaza continued to undermine trust and made progress on the release of captives difficult. The Hamas team, led by senior figures Khalil al-Hayya and Zaher Jabarin, both of whom narrowly survived an Israeli assassination attempt in Doha last month, pressed for assurances of restraint.
According to Egypt’s Al-Qahera News, Monday’s agenda focused on three immediate priorities: an exchange of prisoners and hostages, the establishment of a ceasefire, and the unhindered entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza.
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From Washington, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said President Trump was personally monitoring developments and had instructed technical teams to prepare an early exchange of Israeli hostages and Palestinian detainees. She described the move as an attempt to “create momentum” toward a lasting settlement, noting that lists on both sides were being verified.
Addressing reporters later in the Oval Office, Trump said he believed the negotiations had “a real chance of success” while stressing that the U.S. maintained its own “red lines.” He reportedly praised joint Arab-Turkish diplomatic efforts to sustain the talks and commended his special envoy, Steve Witkoff, who is leading the U.S. delegation. Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, is also part of the American team.
The talks coincided with the second anniversary of Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, which left over 1,100 people dead and about 200 taken captive. Since then, Israeli military operations have killed more than 67,000 Palestinians and wounded nearly 170,000, according to humanitarian monitors.
Even as negotiators met, at least ten Palestinians were reported killed in fresh Israeli airstrikes on Monday, including three civilians waiting for food aid.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres, in a late-night statement, described Trump’s proposal as “an opportunity that must be seized” to halt the violence. He urged both sides to commit to a permanent ceasefire and a credible political process, calling them essential steps “to prevent further bloodshed and pave the way for peace.”