CAIRO (AP) — Israeli and Hamas officials began indirect talks on Monday at an Egyptian resort over a catastrophic peace plan. The War in Gaza The eve of the second anniversary.
There is a lot of uncertainty left Plans presented by US President Donald Trump Last week, it included disarmament of extremist groups (an important Israeli demand) and future governance in Gaza. Trump has shown that the Gaza agreement can pave the way for a Middle East peace process that could restructure the region.
Despite Trump ordered Israel to stop the bombing, Israel has continued to slam Gaza with airstrikes and killed at least 19 people in the last 24 hours, the territorial health ministry said.
Egyptian officials said talks began at Sharm El Sheikh’s Red Sea resort on Monday afternoon. On the condition of anonymity, the official spoke on the condition of anonymity as they were not permitted to speak publicly about the consultation.
The Israelis are led by top negotiator Ron Dahmer, and Khalil al-Heyya leads Hamas delegation.
Hamas said negotiations will focus on the first phase of a ceasefire, including the partial withdrawal of Israeli forces and the release of hostages held by Gaza militants in exchange for Palestinian prisoners in Israeli detention.
US Middle Eastern envoy Steve Witkoff and President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner are also expected to take part in the talks, Egypt’s state-run Al Afram reported.
This latest push for peace comes after Hamas embraced several elements of the US plan that Israel said was in support of. Under the plan, Hamas will release the remaining 48 hostages (about 20 people believed to be alive) within three days. It gives up on power and disarming.
Talks in Egypt are expected to move quickly. Netanyahu said it would be “limited to a maximum of a few days,” but some Hamas officials warn that they’ll need more time to find the hostage body buried under the tiled rubber.
Egyptian President Abdel Fatta El-Sisi welcomed Trump’s efforts.
“The beginning of a peaceful political process that leads to the ceasefire, the return of hostages and detainees, the reconstruction of Gaza, and the establishment and recognition of a Palestinian state means that we are on the right path to perpetuating peace and solid stability,” he said.
He emphasized the importance of maintaining the “peace system” created in the Middle East since the 1970s, and said it “has served as a strategic framework for regional stability.”
Elssi spoke in a television speech to commemorate the anniversary of the war with Israel on October 6, 1973, and to commemorate the television program in which Egypt reclaimed the Sinai Peninsula, where Sharm El Sheikh is located.
We hope Israeli bombings stop
The US said Israeli heavy artillery fires in Gaza must be stopped to release hostages. Israel says it is listening to the main Trump’s call. Israeli troops said dozens of Palestinians have been killed since the military statement Saturday night, but they are implementing defensive strikes, primarily to protect the troops.
Gaza’s health ministry said Monday that 19 bodies, including two aids killed in Israeli strikes and shootings, have been taken to hospitals over the past 24 hours. Another 96 people were injured. The deaths brought Palestinian casualties to 67,160 as the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023 caused war and injured nearly 170,000 people, the ministry said.
The ministry does not distinguish between civilians and combatants, but says that more than half of the deaths were women and children. The ministry is part of Hamas-run government, and the United Nations and many independent experts consider the figures to be the most reliable estimates of wartime casualties.
Hamas-led militants lured 251 people, killing around 1,200, mostly civilians in the attack on October 7th. Most of the Israelis have been released in ceasefires and other deals.
Meanwhile, the families of Israeli hostages petitioned the Nobel Prize Committee to award the Nobel Peace Prize to Trump.
“At this moment, President Trump’s comprehensive plan to release all the remaining hostages and ultimately end this horrifying war is on the table,” the family wrote. “We hope that our nightmare will finally end after a few months.”
At a commemoration of the Israelis killed at NIR Oz Kibbutz on October 7th, Daniel Lifschitz said the main focus of the consultation should be the rapid release of all remaining hostages.
“Israel will pay painful concessions by releasing mass murderers and terrorists who have killed many of our friends and family in Israel, but we cherish our lives and we trust that in Trump will make it happen.
“Living in fear, war, refuge”
In Gaza, the family of Palestinian babies born on the day the war began wanted to celebrate their second birthday with sounds of laughter and cheers, instead of the cacophony of bombings and bullets.
Mothers’ hopes for normal life have long worn thin and thin amid repeated displacements, constant fear of their safety, and lack of access to proper medical care.
Rola Saqer said the two years since giving birth to her daughter Masa have been filled with suffering.
“(Masa) wanted to grow up with a strong personality, but she is weak. She suffers from malnutrition. The girl weighed 8 kg (17 pounds) for five months,” she said.
Laundries, plastic chairs and carpets make up most of the family’s property in the tents of the Nusairat refugee camp.
Amal al-Tawell and her husband Mostafa had their son Ali after three years of trying for their children. They currently live in tents without proper hygiene, food, vaccinations, and even toys.
“I was imagining a different life for him… he couldn’t experience how a safe home life felt,” said Al Tawell.
___
Ridman reported from Tel Aviv, Israel, and Shurafa from Deial al-Barah in the Gaza Strip. ___
Follow the AP war report https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war
