Delegations from Hamas, Israel, and the United States are set to meet in Egypt on Monday as U.S. President Donald Trump calls for swift action to end the nearly two-year-long war in Gaza.
Both sides have expressed cautious optimism toward Trump’s proposal, which seeks to halt fighting and facilitate a prisoner exchange and the release of hostages held in Gaza in return for Palestinians detained in Israeli prisons.
The indirect negotiations, initially scheduled before Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack that ignited the conflict, will explore a temporary truce and the first phase of the plan — involving the release of 47 hostages in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian detainees.
Trump’s proposal includes the disarmament of Hamas and a complete withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza, conditions seen as challenging given past stalemates over prisoner exchange lists. “I am told that the first phase should be completed this week, and I am asking everyone to MOVE FAST,” Trump posted on his Truth Social platform on Sunday, while praising “positive discussions” with global allies.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has endorsed the plan as “the right path to lasting peace and stability,” while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed his delegation’s participation in the talks. Trump’s envoys, Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, are representing the United States in the discussions.
Meanwhile, sporadic airstrikes continued in Gaza on Monday despite diplomatic progress. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio urged Israel to halt bombings, stressing that “you can’t release hostages in the middle of strikes.” Reports from Gaza City indicated a partial withdrawal of Israeli tanks and a decline in air raids.
The war, now approaching its second year, has resulted in staggering casualties: 1,219 deaths in Israel, mostly civilians, and over 67,000 Palestinians killed, according to Gaza’s health ministry figures considered reliable by the United Nations.
Under Trump’s peace roadmap, Hamas would play no role in Gaza’s post-war administration, which would instead be managed by a technocratic body under a transitional authority headed by Trump himself.
“What we want is for the prisoner exchange deal to be completed quickly so that Israel has no excuse to continue the war,” said Ahmad Barbakh, a resident of Al-Mawasi.
What you should know
The latest round of Gaza ceasefire talks marks one of the most significant diplomatic pushes since the conflict began in 2023.
Trump’s plan combines a ceasefire, hostage exchange, and post-war governance structure, but its success hinges on Hamas’s acceptance of disarmament and Israel’s willingness to withdraw, both seen as major hurdles to lasting peace.
