Israel and Hamas are set to take part in indirect ceasefire talks aimed at ending the war in Gaza on Monday in Egypt. Officials announced U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff will be in attendance.
Egypt’s foreign ministry said the talks will focus on a possible exchange: hostages for Palestinian prisoners held in Israel.
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“These are technical talks. Israel’s government has agreed to the first phase of this deal, which is the release of all 48 hostages at once,” Israeli government spokesperson Shosh Bedrosian said. “As President Trump confirmed, it has been agreed to. Hamas, the terror organization, will need to release our hostages. Israel’s team of negotiators will be meeting in Egypt to iron out these very specific details on the first phase right now.”
President Donald Trump said the talks will last a few days. Israel reiterated a 72-hour deadline for the release of hostages once Hamas and Israel finalize details.
The Israeli delegation is scheduled to depart for Egypt on Monday afternoon, according to the Associated Press. An Egyptian official said the Hamas delegation had arrived.
Trump’s ceasefire proposal
The meeting comes after Hamas and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu both expressed some support for Trump’s ceasefire plan.
The proposal calls for the release of all remaining hostages within three days, the group’s disarmament and the transfer of power in Gaza. Israel would also have to withdraw to a line drawn by the U.S. government.
On Friday, Hamas agreed to “some elements” of the plan. It’s unclear which portions the militant group agreed to. However, reports confirmed it included the release of all remaining hostages. Of the 48 Israeli hostages still unaccounted for, officials believe about 20 are alive.
On Saturday, Trump said Israel’s military was preparing to usher in the first phase of his plan. He said Israel agreed to the initial withdrawal line, but Hamas had yet to confirm.
Also over the weekend, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said this is “the closest we’ve come to getting all of the hostages released.”
Trump posted something similar, saying that “very positive discussions” are “proceeding rapidly.”
Two-year war
The talks on Monday come one day before the second anniversary of the Hamas attack that killed approximately 1,200 Israelis. That attack kicked off the war between Israel and Hamas, which, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, has killed more than 67,000 Palestinians.
