Israel, Hamas work out modalities of talks

Negotiations begin in Egypt on Trump plan to end Gaza war

CAIRO:

Delegations from Hamas and Israel on Monday began indirect talks in the Egyptian resort town of Sharm El-Sheikh on ending the nearly two-year war in Gaza, Egyptian state-linked media reported.

Al-Qahera News, which is linked to state intelligence, said the delegations "are discussing preparing ground conditions for the release of detainees and prisoners", in line with a proposal from US President Donald Trump to halt hostilities.

"Egyptian and Qatari mediators are working with both sides to establish a mechanism" for the exchange of hostages held in Gaza for the Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails, they added.

Behind closed doors and under tight security, negotiators will speak through mediators shuttling back and forth, only weeks after Israel tried to kill Hamas's lead negotiators in a strike on Qatar.

The Hamas delegation, led by top negotiator Khalil al-Hayya who survived the attack in Doha, held a meeting with Egyptian intelligence officials ahead of the talks, according to an Egyptian security source.

This round of negotiations, launched on the eve of the second anniversary of Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack that sparked the war, "may last for several days", said a Palestinian source close to Hamas's leadership.

"We expect the negotiations to be difficult and complex, given the occupation's intentions to continue its war of extermination," he told AFP.

Trump, whose envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner are expected in Egypt, has urged negotiators to "move fast" to end the war in Gaza, where Israeli strikes continued on Monday.

At least seven Palestinians were killed in the latest Israeli air strikes, according to Mahmud Basal, spokesman for Gaza's civil defence agency.

AFP footage showed explosions in the Gaza Strip, with plumes of smoke rising over the skyline, even after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Israel must stop bombing the territory.

- 'Require several days' -

Both Hamas and Israel have responded positively to Trump's proposal, but reaching an agreement on the details is set to be a herculean task.

The plan envisages the disarmament of Hamas, which the militant group is unlikely to accept.

It also provides for the full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, but Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to redeploy troops "deep inside" the territory while securing the release of hostages.