As the negotiators gather in the Middle East this weekend, there is a growing sense of hope that the resolution to the conflict is nearing, coinciding with its second anniversary.

According to a senior White House official speaking to NBC News, U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, who is President Trump’s son-in-law, are on a mission to Egypt to address the last unresolved issues of the agreement.

Prime Minister Netanyahu expressed his wish to announce the hostages’ return during the Jewish festival of Sukkot, which spans from Monday until October 13. He also mentioned dispatching a team to Egypt to “finalize the technical details of releasing our hostages.”

A deal was “not final yet,” he warned.

Trump’s proposal requires Hamas to disarm, but does not call for the immediate and full withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza. In its response to the proposal, Hamas did not address disarmament and has consistently demanded a complete Israeli withdrawal in any agreement.

Netanyahu stated that Israeli forces would “reposition in such a way that the IDF will continue to control all of the territories it currently holds deep inside the Strip,” describing the initial phase of the plan.

On Saturday, Trump shared a map on Truth Social, stating it depicted the initial withdrawal line agreed upon by Israel. The map indicates that Israel would retain control over most of the strip.

Hamas “will be disarmed” and Gaza demilitarized in the second phase of Trump’s plan, Netanyahu said, warning that it would happen either politically or militarily.

The negotiations in Egypt come after Gaza’s Ministry of Health said Saturday that the total death toll in the enclave had passed 67,000 after the addition of more than 700 people whose data had been verified.

Dr. Muhammad Abu Salmiya, the director of Al-Shifa Hospital, told NBC News Saturday that the bodies of 54 people had been brought to hospitals across the Gaza Strip, including 45 in Gaza City. Trump on said Friday that Israel must “immediately stop the bombing of Gaza.”

Salmiya said some were killed in ongoing strikes, while others were shot as they tried to return to their homes in conflict areas or as they waited for aid.

Tuesday marks the second anniversary of the start of the Israel-Hamas war, which began on Oct. 7, 2023, with the Hamas-led terrorist attacks on Israel in which 1,200 people were killed and 251 abducted.

As the remaining hostages approach their third year in captivity, tens of thousands of demonstrators gathered in the Israeli city of Tel Aviv on Saturday night awaiting news of a potential hostage deal.

According to the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, an estimated 120,000 people were in attendance.

At Hostages Square, demonstrators unfurled a huge black banner reading, in white and red letters, “It’s now or never.”