Gaza peace talks appear to gain momentum

WAIT FOR PEACE Pro-Palestinian attendees sit during a protest on Tuesday in Portland, Ore., marking the second anniversary of Hamas' attack on Israel. —AP

CAIRO—Peace talks between Israel and Hamas resumed at an Egyptian resort city on Tuesday, the two-year anniversary of the militant group’s surprise attack on Israel that started the war that has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

The second day of indirect negotiations at 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.

Khalil al-Hayya, a senior Hamas official, told Egypt’s Qahera TV that Hamas wanted guarantees of a lasting ceasefire as part of any deal to return the remaining 48 hostages, around 20 of them believed by Israel to be alive.

It appeared to be his first public appearance since an Israeli strike targeting him and other top Hamas leaders in Qatar last month killed six people, including his son and office manager.

Cautious optimism

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has accepted Trump’s plan, which calls for the immediate release of the hostages. The plan also calls for Gaza to be placed under international governance and for Hamas to be disarmed, elements the militants have yet to accept.

Netanyahu’s office said Tuesday that Israel was “cautiously optimistic,” framing the talks as technical negotiations over a plan that both sides already had approved.

The plan has received widespread international backing, and Trump told reporters Monday that he thought there was a “really good chance” of a lasting deal.

Qatar PM joining

In a sign the talks were gaining momentum, Qatar said its prime minister and top diplomat, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, would travel to Egypt on Wednesday to join the negotiations. Trump’s Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff and the president’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, as well as top Netanyahu adviser Ron Dermer, are also expected to join the talks then.

The plan envisions Israel withdrawing its troops from Gaza after Hamas disarms, and an international security force being put in place. The territory would be placed under international governance, with Trump and former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair overseeing it.

In a statement issued Tuesday, Hamas reiterated its longstanding demands for a lasting ceasefire and a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza but said nothing about disarmament.

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. Most have since been released in ceasefires or other deals.

The ensuing war has killed at least 67,160 Palestinians and nearly 170,000 wounded, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, and left the territory in ruins.