Hamas officials arrived in Egypt on Sunday ahead of crucial negotiations with Israel that Washington hopes will finally bring an end to the nearly two-year war in Gaza and secure the release of remaining hostages.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the coming days would be decisive, calling the talks “critical” to determining whether Hamas is serious about peace.
Israeli negotiators, led by Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, are expected to join the discussions in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh on Monday.
The talks, mediated by Egypt, the U.S., and Qatar, are part of U.S. President Donald Trump’s 20-point peace plan aimed at halting the fighting, freeing hostages, and defining Gaza’s postwar future.
“We will know very quickly whether Hamas is serious or not by how these technical talks go in terms of the logistics,” Rubio told NBC’s Meet the Press on Sunday, referring to the release of the 48 remaining hostages in Gaza, 20 of whom are believed to be alive.
Trump, in a social media post later on Sunday, said the negotiations were “advancing rapidly,” adding, “I am told that the first phase should be completed this week, and I am asking everyone to MOVE FAST.” The initial stage of the plan involves exchanging hostages for Palestinian prisoners.
A Hamas delegation led by senior official Khalil Al-Hayya, who survived an Israeli airstrike in Doha last month, arrived in Egypt late Sunday for what diplomats are calling the most advanced effort yet to end the conflict.
Hamas on Friday accepted several parts of the Trump proposal, including the hostage exchange, but avoided addressing the most contentious demand: the group’s disarmament.
Trump nonetheless welcomed Hamas’ response, saying it indicated the group was “ready for a lasting PEACE,” while urging Israel to halt its bombardment of Gaza — strikes that continued into Sunday.
An official briefed on the Egyptian talks told Reuters that negotiators aim to reach a comprehensive deal before declaring a ceasefire, abandoning the previous “phased approach” that often collapsed in follow-up rounds.
“There is a conscious effort among mediators to avoid that approach this time around,” the official said.
Rubio told ABC’s This Week that while no firm timeline has been set, the U.S. expects results quickly: “These talks cannot take weeks or even multiple days. We want to see this happen very fast.”
Despite diplomatic progress, Israeli air and ground attacks continued across Gaza on Sunday, killing at least 19 people, including civilians seeking aid in the south of the enclave, according to Gaza health authorities.
“We do not see any change to the situation,” said Ahmed Assad, a displaced Palestinian in central Gaza. “We don’t know what to do, shall we stay, shall we leave?”
In Israel, signs of cautious optimism have emerged. The shekel rose to a three-year high against the dollar, and Tel Aviv’s stock market reached a record peak as investors bet on a possible end to the war.
“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.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, however, faces mounting domestic pressure from both sides, families of hostages and a war-weary public calling for an end to the fighting, and hardline coalition members warning against any pause in military operations.
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich called stopping attacks a “grave mistake,” while Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir threatened to collapse the government if fighting ceases.
Opposition leader Yair Lapid said his centrist Yesh Atid party would back Netanyahu if it meant saving lives and securing peace. “We won’t let extremists torpedo the deal,” Lapid said.
Israel launched its Gaza campaign following the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led assault that killed around 1,200 people and saw 251 others taken hostage.
Since then, Israeli operations have killed more than 67,000 people in Gaza, most of them civilians, according to local health authorities, a toll that has left Israel increasingly isolated on the international stage.
Source: Reuters
Written By Rodney Mbua
