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President Donald Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, and his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, are scheduled to attend Gaza ceasefire negotiations in Egypt this Wednesday. This initiative comes as Hamas acknowledged they have collectively made strides towards a significant milestone in the U.S. plan to conclude the ongoing, destructive conflict.
The participation of the U.S. representatives, alongside the leader of Qatar, follows a second day of indirect negotiations. This occurs while Israelis and Palestinians observe the somber two-year mark of the October 7 attack and the severe warfare that ensued.
Hamas released a statement Wednesday saying that a list of Palestinian prisoners who would be released under a deal had been provided to Israel.
“The mediators are exerting substantial effort to clear any barriers in the way of establishing the ceasefire. A sense of optimism is shared by all parties,” a spokesperson for the militant group stated.
The release of the remaining hostages held in Gaza and of 1,950 Palestinian prisoners are key parts of Trump’s 20-peace proposal.
Israel has not yet commented on the Hamas statement.
Top Hamas leader Khalil Al-Hayya said Tuesday that the group had come “to engage in serious and responsible negotiations.”
Hamas expressed willingness to finalize an agreement, provided there is a “guarantee” that the war will cease and not reignite, a member said on Egypt’s Al Qahera News TV.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has not shared details on the progress of the discussions but remarked to Israelis on Tuesday about the “momentous days of decision” they are experiencing.
Trump expressed optimism about the talks, telling reporters in Washington there was “a possibility that we could have peace in the Middle East.”
Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed Abdulrahman Al Thani is also expected to partake in the discussions in Egypt’s Sharm el-Sheikh resort.
Qatar wants international guarantees, led by the U.S., that what is negotiated in Egypt will lead to Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza, the entry of more aid, and a permanent end to the war, foreign ministry spokesperson Majed al-Ansari told Saudi Arabian news channel al-Hadath on Tuesday.
Israel has continued its assault on Gaza while the talks have been taking place. Its military campaign has killed more than 67,000 people, reducing much of the enclave to rubble following the October 7, 2023 attacks by Hamas, in which some 1,200 people were killed and 251 taken to Gaza as hostages.
There were somber gatherings across Israel on Tuesday to mark the attacks, including in the country’s south where families and friends paid respects to the more than 370 victims killed at the Nova music festival.
Palestinians, meanwhile, reflected on two years of brutal conflict and their hopes for an end to the devastation.
Alaa Abu Daraz and her children left their home in eastern Gaza on October 7, and two years later they are yet to return, living on the streets as they seek safety.
“Our children are left in the streets, with no tent, no shelter, not even a blanket,” she told NBC News this week. “We managed through the summer and survived the heat, but the winter is unbearable; one cannot live or do anything in these conditions.”
Israel has faced mounting global isolation over its assault.
A new aid flotilla bound for Gaza that included a number of Americans was intercepted by the Israeli army Wednesday, days after the detention of activists on board a high-profile flotilla fueled international outrage.
Eight U.S. citizens were “likely abducted” by Israeli forces while on international waters, the Freedom Flotilla Coalition said Wednesday.
