Hamas representatives and Israeli delegates begin third-party talks in the Egyptian city on American Palestinian peace proposal.
News Agency
Third-party negotiations focused on achieving a comprehensive deal on a Trump administration initiative to end the war in Gaza have begun in the Egyptian city of Sharm El-Sheikh.
Palestinian and Egyptian officials have indicated that the meetings are centered around "establishing the groundwork" for a possible exchange that would see the freeing of all Israeli hostages in compensation of a number of Palestinian prisoners.
Hamas has said it accepts the peace plan proposals in part, but has omitted reference to several essential conditions - particularly its military demobilization and political participation in Gaza.
The Israeli leader said on the weekend that he expected to reveal the liberation of captives "soon"
Conflict Timeline
The discussions, which will see regional and international officials conducting mediation with representatives from both Israel and Hamas separately, occur on the eve of the two-year mark of the Hamas-led attack on border communities on October 7th, in which approximately 1,200 people were lost their lives and 251 individuals were captured.
The defense forces initiated operations in Gaza in response. Following the initial attack, 67,160 have been fatally injured by armed interventions in Gaza, as reported by the region's medical administration.
Proposal Framework
The comprehensive proposal, which has been approved by US President Donald Trump and Israeli officials, suggests an prompt cessation to fighting and the freeing of 48 hostages, only a portion are thought to be alive, in return for hundreds of detained Gazans.
The plan stipulates that once both sides approve the plan "complete assistance will be quickly dispatched into the conflict zone"
It also declares that the militant group would have no role in governing Gaza, and it leaves the door open an eventual Palestinian state.
Current Situation
In the latest development, Hamas responded to the proposal in a statement, in which the group agreed "to free all detainees, both alive and killed, according to the swap arrangement contained in the American plan" - if the required situation for the transfers are satisfied.
It omitted reference to or approve the detailed initiative but said it "restates its approval to transfer the administration of the Palestinian territory to a Palestinian body of independents, founded on regional unity and international backing"
The announcement made no mention of one of the essential conditions of the initiative – that the militant group agree to its military demobilization and to having no future involvement in the leadership of Gaza.
Regional Reactions
Many Palestinians described the group's reaction to the negotiation initiative as unexpected, after an extended period of indications that the group was preparing to reject or at least substantially modify its endorsement of the American initiative.
Conversely, the militant group omitted its customary boundaries in the public announcement, a action many consider a indication of external pressure.
European and Middle Eastern leaders have welcomed the plan. The local administration, which administers parts of the Palestinian territories, has characterized the US president's efforts as "authentic and resolute"
The Islamic Republic - which has been one of the group's primary supporters for an extended period - has also currently expressed its endorsement of the American initiative.
Present Conditions
Israeli bombardment continued in various locations of the Palestinian territory on the beginning of the week before the talks beginning.
Israeli forces is conducting an military operation in the city, which it has stated is intended to obtaining the liberation of the remaining hostages.
An official representative, representing the region's civil protection agency, stated that "no aid trucks have been permitted entry to Gaza City since the offensive began four weeks ago"
"Remains persist we cannot access from areas under military occupation" he stated.
Numerous individuals of the metropolitan area have been compelled to evacuate after the Israeli military mandated relocations to a designated "humanitarian area" in the lower territory, but further countless people are thought to have stayed.
The defense representative has warned that those who stay during the military operation would be "combatants and their sympathizers"
In the previous day, 21 Palestinians have been fatally injured in Gaza and a another 96 injured, the Hamas-run health ministry said in its most recent report.
Foreign correspondents have been prohibited by Israel from entering the Palestinian territory autonomously since the start of the war, making authenticating statements from the conflicting groups difficult.