Indirect negotiations between Hamas and Israel resumed on Tuesday in Egypt’s Red Sea resort city of Sharm El-Sheikh, with mediation from Egypt, Qatar, Turkey, and the United States, as part of a peace plan proposed by US President Donald Trump to end the war in the Gaza Strip.
Diplomatic sources described the latest round of talks as “positive,” fuelling cautious optimism that a breakthrough could soon be reached to halt the two-year-long conflict.
Egypt’s state-run Al-Qahera News reported that the first round of discussions, held overnight Monday to Tuesday, “ended on a positive note,” with talks scheduled to continue later in the day. AFP cited diplomatic sources saying the opening session lasted four hours and would resume at noon “amid cautious optimism.”
Hamas expressed readiness to “hand over all hostages and detainees, both alive and deceased,” but demanded clear guarantees on the mechanisms for implementing the Trump plan and assurances that Israel would not resume its military campaign against Gaza. Egyptian officials are currently reviewing a list of Palestinian prisoners proposed for release under a potential exchange deal, including high-profile figures such as Marwan Barghouti, Ahmad Sa’adat, Hassan Salameh, and Abbas al-Sayyid.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington is “leading efforts to secure the release of all hostages and end Hamas’ rule in Gaza,” adding that the United States seeks “a lasting peace that guarantees Israel’s security while ensuring stability and prosperity for the Middle East for generations to come.”
Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesperson Majed Al-Ansari said “four hours of intensive negotiations” were held on Monday focused on the Trump plan, affirming Doha’s commitment to working with all parties “to end the war and ensure the plan’s full implementation.” He noted that “all parties have agreed to the Trump plan,” and that the remaining issues relate to implementation, adding that “the handover of hostages will mark a turning point toward ending the war.”
Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelaty said Cairo, in coordination with partners including Germany, is working to implement the first phase of the agreement, which involves redeploying Israeli forces within Gaza to facilitate the release of hostages and the delivery of humanitarian aid. He added that negotiations include “drafting maps for troop redeployment in preparation for withdrawal under the Trump proposal.”
Meanwhile, the Al-Quds Brigades—the armed wing of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad movement—announced it had shelled Israeli forces northwest of the Al-Shati refugee camp. The group said “the resistance will continue as long as the occupation exists” and that “Israeli captives will only be released through an honourable exchange that compels Israel to end the war.”
The talks come as Gaza’s humanitarian situation continues to deteriorate. The Health Ministry warned of the “total and deliberate collapse” of the healthcare system after two years of conflict, reporting that 25 of 38 hospitals are out of service and 103 of 157 primary healthcare centres destroyed. It added that 1,701 medical workers have been killed and 362 detained since the war began.
The education sector is also in crisis, with over 785,000 students deprived of schooling for a third consecutive year as about 95% of educational facilities lie in ruins. Limited community-led initiatives are attempting to bridge the gap but remain no substitute for formal education.
In a statement marking the second anniversary of the October 7 “Al-Aqsa Flood” operation, Hamas said its “political and military repercussions continue to reshape the region,” describing it as “a defining moment in the regional landscape.”
Despite the apparent progress in Sharm El-Sheikh, major sticking points remain — including the future governance of Gaza, post-war security arrangements, and the sequencing of steps under the Trump plan. Mediators, however, remain hopeful that this round of talks could pave the way for a ceasefire and the start of a new phase in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.