CAIRO/WASHINGTON — A Hamas delegation arrived in Egypt on Sunday for renewed negotiations with Israel, as the United States expressed hope that the talks would bring an end to the nearly two-year Gaza war and secure the release of remaining hostages.
The meeting, set in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, will include Israeli negotiators led by Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, alongside representatives from the U.S. and Qatar. The discussions are part of a 20-point peace initiative advanced by U.S. President Donald Trump aimed at halting hostilities, freeing hostages, and outlining Gaza’s post-war governance.
“We will know very quickly whether Hamas is serious or not by how these technical talks go in terms of the logistics,” U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told NBC News’ Meet the Press on Sunday, referring to the release of 48 remaining hostages in Gaza, 20 of whom are believed to be alive.
Trump later said on social media that negotiations were “advancing rapidly.” He added, “I am told that the first phase should be completed this week, and I am asking everyone to MOVE FAST.” The first phase reportedly involves the exchange of hostages for Palestinian prisoners.
The Hamas delegation is led by exiled Gaza chief Khalil Al-Hayya, who arrived in Egypt late Sunday. It was Hayya’s first visit since surviving an Israeli airstrike in Doha last month.
Trump’s peace plan has been partially accepted by both sides. Hamas agreed on Friday to a hostage release and several other provisions, but avoided addressing the demand for its disarmament a condition it has consistently rejected.
Trump welcomed Hamas’ initial response, saying he believed the group was “ready for a lasting PEACE.” Despite his call for Israel to “stop bombing Gaza immediately,” Israeli air and ground attacks have continued.
An official familiar with the ongoing negotiations said this round of talks would focus on finalizing a comprehensive agreement before a ceasefire is declared. “This differs from earlier rounds of negotiations which followed a phased approach,” the official told Reuters. “There is a conscious effort among mediators to avoid that approach this time around.”
Rubio told ABC’s This Week that there was no fixed timeline for a deal but emphasized urgency. “Talks cannot take weeks or even multiple days. We want to see this happen very fast,” he said.
While the plan has sparked cautious optimism among Palestinians, Israeli airstrikes continued across Gaza on Sunday. Local health authorities reported at least 19 deaths, including four people seeking aid in the southern part of the strip and five others killed in an airstrike on Gaza City.
“We do not see any change to the situation; on the contrary, we don’t know what action to take,” said Ahmed Assad, a displaced Palestinian in central Gaza. “Shall we remain in the streets? Shall we leave?”
In Israel, optimism over Trump’s initiative was reflected in financial markets the shekel reached a three-year high against the dollar, and Tel Aviv stocks hit record levels.
“It’s the first time in months that I’m actually hopeful,” said Tel Aviv resident Gil Shelly. “Trump has really instilled a lot of hope into us.”
However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faces political pressure from both directions: families of hostages and a war-weary public urging an end to the conflict, and far-right coalition members demanding continued military operations.
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich warned on X that stopping the campaign would be a “grave mistake,” while Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir threatened to withdraw support from Netanyahu’s government if the war ends.
Opposition leader Yair Lapid, meanwhile, pledged to back the Trump-led peace initiative, saying his party “won’t let them torpedo the deal.”
Israel’s military campaign began after Hamas’ October 7, 2023, attack that killed about 1,200 people and led to 251 hostages being taken. Since then, Gaza’s Health Ministry reports that over 67,000 people, mostly civilians, have been killed in Israel’s counteroffensive, drawing widespread international criticism.
Edgardo Hernal started college at UP Diliman and received his BA in Economics from San Sebastian College, Manila, and Masters in Information Systems Management from Keller Graduate School of Management of DeVry University in Oak Brook, IL. He has 25 years of copy editing and management experience at Thomson West, a subsidiary of Thomson Reuters.
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