Cairo: Peace talks between Israel and Hamas were resuming at an Egyptian resort city on Tuesday, the two-year anniversary of the militant group’s surprise attack on Israel that triggered the bloody conflict that has seen tens of thousands of Palestinians killed in Gaza.
The second day of indirect negotiations in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh is focused on a plan proposed by US President Donald Trump last week that aims to bring about an end to the war in Gaza.
After several hours of talks on Monday, an Egyptian official with knowledge of the discussions said the parties agreed on most of the first-phase terms, which include the release of hostages and establishing a ceasefire. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the private meetings.
The plan has received widespread international backing, and Trump told reporters on Monday that he thought there was a “really good chance” of a “lasting deal.”
“This is beyond Gaza,” he said. “Gaza is a big deal, but this is really peace in the Middle East.”
Many uncertainties remain, however, including the demand that Hamas disarm and the future governance of Gaza.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has long said Hamas must surrender and disarm, but Hamas has not yet commented on whether it would be willing to.
The plan envisions Israel withdrawing its troops from Gaza after Hamas disarms, and an international security force being put in place.
The territory would then be placed under international governance, with Trump and former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair overseeing it. The war began on Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel and killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducted 251.
The devastating war that has ensued has upended global politics, resulted in the deaths of 67,160 Palestinians, nearly 170,000 wounded, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, and has left the Gaza Strip in ruins.
The ministry does not differentiate between civilians and combatants, but says more than half of the deaths were women and children.
The ministry is part of the Hamas-run government, and the United Nations and many independent experts consider its figures to be the most reliable estimate of wartime casualties.
A growing number of experts, including those commissioned by a UN body, have said Israel’s offensive in the Gaza Strip amounts to genocide - an accusation Israel vehemently denies.