Hamas and Israel set for Trump’s Gaza plan peace talks in Egypt

Israel and Hamas were poised to conduct indirect peace talks Monday, with hopes it could represent the best chance yet to end the two-year war and free the remaining hostages from Gaza.

On the anniversary eve of Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, terror attack, and subsequent military operation by Israel, representatives from all sides were due in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh to discuss a 20-point peace plan tabled by President Donald Trump to halt the conflict.

Hamas’ delegation is being led by senior official Khalil Al-Hayya, who Israel tried to assassinate with a strike on Qatar last month.

Al-Hayya, who Israeli President Isaac Herzog described as a “murderous terrorist” in the wake of the Qatar strike, arrived in Egypt early Monday, Hamas said in a statement.

Israel’s delegation will be led by Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, who set to leave for Egypt on Monday, according to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office Sunday.

The two sides have agreed to parts of Trump’s proposal.

Helping trying to hammer out the deal’s remaining sticking points will be U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner who were also traveling to Egypt, a senior White House official told NBC News on Saturday.

Trump called the talks “very successful, and proceeding rapidly,” and said Monday’s meetings was just a case of technical teams clarifying “final details.” He said “the first phase should be completed this week,” writing in a social media post.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio was cooler, telling NBC News’ “Meet the Press” on Sunday that finding a resolution would take “some time” and that “there’s some work that remains to be done.”

The first phase of the talks will deal with the release of the remaining 48 hostages, some 20 of whom are believed to still be alive, in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held in Israel.

The plan also calls for the end of fighting and withdrawal of Israeli forces. Hamas agreed to some of this proposal Friday, while sidestepping Trump’s call for it to disband and disarm.

On Sunday Hamas leader Mahmoud Mardawi denied as baseless reports in Arab media that the group had agreed to lay down its weapons.

Israel says it agrees with the plan, buoying the yearslong, impassioned domestic campaign by families and supporters of the hostages to cease fighting so they can be brought home.

Still, Netanyahu faces pressure from his own government over negotiations. Far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said on X that stopping attacks on Gaza would be a “grave mistake.”

In Gaza, many Palestinians are desperate for an end to the bombardment that has killed more than 67,000 people, most of them women and children, according to its Health Ministry. Some 78% of buildings have either been damaged or destroyed.

The prospect of an agreement has not stopped the Israeli attacks. Gaza’s Hamas-run Government Media Office said Sunday that Israel had carried out 131 airstrikes on Gaza over the past 48 hours, killing 94 Palestinians.

Israel launched the offensive after Hamas’ Oct. 7 terror attack, in which some 1,200 were killed and another 250 kidnapped.

Though freeing the hostages would be a “significant achievement and a fulfillment of a principal war objective,” IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir warned his troops to be ready.

“The operation is not over; we must remain alert and ready for combat at all times,” he said in a statement Sunday. “If the political effort does not succeed, we will return to fight.”