Intense negotiations to secure a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal continued for a second day in Egypt on Tuesday. The talks represent the most promising effort yet to end two years of devastating conflict between Israel and Hamas .
Delegations from Israel and Hamas are meeting separately with Egyptian and Qatari mediators in the resort city of Sharm el-Sheikh. They are working to finalize an agreement based on a 20-point peace proposal unveiled by U.S. President Donald Trump last week .
The negotiations come as Israelis mark two years since Hamas's October 7, 2023, attack that killed 1,200 people and saw 251 taken hostage. The ensuing Israeli military campaign in Gaza has killed more than 67,000 Palestinians, according to health officials in the territory .
President Trump expressed optimism about the prospects for a deal. "We have a really good chance of making a deal, and it'll be a lasting deal," he told reporters at the White House on Monday. He later added that Hamas has been "agreeing to things that are very important" .
U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law and former Middle East adviser, were expected to join the talks in Egypt on Wednesday. Both were architects of the Trump peace plan and their presence signals Washington's strong commitment to the process .
The White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the Trump administration was working hard to "move the ball forward as quickly as we can" in the negotiations. "The president wants to see a cease-fire. He wants to see the hostages released," she said .
The Trump Peace Proposal
The 20-point plan that forms the basis of current negotiations proposes an immediate end to fighting and the release of 48 hostages still held in Gaza. Only 20 of these hostages are believed to be alive. In exchange, Israel would release hundreds of detained Palestinians .
The plan states that once both sides agree, "full aid will be immediately sent into the Gaza Strip." It also clearly states that Hamas would have no role in governing Gaza, while leaving the door open for an eventual Palestinian state .
A significant aspect of the proposal is its international nature. It envisions a "Board of Peace" chaired by Trump himself that would oversee implementation. The plan also calls for an "International Stabilization Force" to deploy in Gazan areas cleared of Hamas, with countries like Indonesia already offering troops .
The proposal offers Hamas members amnesty if they disarm and "commit to peaceful co-existence." Those militants who wish to leave would be allowed to go into exile. This provision potentially gives Hamas members a way to survive without accepting outright surrender .
Tom Malinowski, a former assistant secretary of State for human rights, said the deal "would at least stop the killing of civilians for now and rescue the remaining Israeli hostages." He added that the plan "has that potential, too, so long as Trump is clear-eyed that both sides will have incentives to undermine it" .
Hamas's Position and Demands
Hamas has conditionally accepted parts of the Trump proposal, particularly regarding hostage release. On Friday, the group said it was prepared to free all Israeli prisoners "according to the exchange formula contained in Trump's proposal" if proper conditions are met .
However, senior Hamas official Fawzi Barhoum laid out additional demands on Tuesday. He said any deal must ensure a permanent, comprehensive ceasefire and a full Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip. Hamas also wants unrestricted entry of humanitarian aid and guarantees that displaced Palestinians can return to their homes .
Barhoum said Hamas is calling for the immediate start of reconstruction "under the supervision of a national Palestinian body of independent technocrats." He suggested Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu might attempt to "obstruct and sabotage the current round of negotiations, as he has deliberately done with all previous rounds" .
Notably, Hamas's official statement did not specifically mention two key Israeli demands: that the group agree to disarm and that it accept no future role in governing Gaza. This omission leaves important questions unresolved as negotiations continue .
Many Palestinians described Hamas's response to the peace plan as unexpected. After days of indications that the group might reject the proposal, it instead refrained from including its traditional "red lines" in the official statement. Many interpret this move as a sign of external pressure on the group .
Israeli Politics and Public Sentiment
In Israel, the mood remains somber as the country marks two years since the Hamas attacks. Hundreds of people gathered in southern Israel to remember the victims. Mourners laid flowers and tributes at memorial sites, comforting one another .
Hundreds more visited Tel Aviv's Hostages Square, with many expressing both mourning and cautious hope. "There's nothing else one can do besides this. We feel lost and uncertain, but when we sit here, it feels like this is where we need to be," said Marit Cohen from Givat Shmuel .
The Hostages Families Forum issued a statement thanking Trump for his "unwavering dedication and leadership." The group said his deal "gives us renewed hope that this nightmare may finally end and our loved ones will come home." They also called on Netanyahu to "end this nightmare" .
Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid expressed optimism about the negotiations. "I think the 20 point plan that President Trump and his team put on the table is tangible and doable," Lapid told CNN. He added that there is "more than a hint of optimism in the air" .
Netanyahu has offered general support for the Trump proposal, saying it "achieves our war aims" when it was announced. However, he quickly reinstated his longstanding opposition to a Palestinian state, saying "It's not written in the agreement. We said we would strongly oppose a Palestinian state" .
Former Israeli Justice Minister Yossi Beilin, who helped craft the 1993 Oslo peace accords, said he is "optimistic" about the current talks specifically because of Trump's leading role. "I think President Trump will not easily give up," Beilin told CNN .
International Support and Remaining Challenges
World leaders have widely welcomed the Trump peace proposal. The foreign ministers of eight nations including Qatar, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Egypt issued a joint statement praising Trump's "leadership and his sincere efforts to end the war in Gaza" .
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen encouraged "all parties to now seize this opportunity." UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer reiterated his support for the plan, saying "We welcome the US initiative towards peace in the Middle East" .
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Trump's plan "presents an opportunity that must be seized to bring this tragic conflict to an end" .
Despite the optimism, officials on all sides urge caution. Qatar's foreign ministry spokesperson Majed al-Ansari said "There are many details that need to be worked out," indicating any agreement may not be imminent .
An official involved in ceasefire planning said Trump's 72-hour deadline for hostage return may be unachievable for dead hostages. Their remains may need to be located and recovered, complicating the timeline .
Even if a deal is reached, major questions remain about who will govern Gaza and rebuild it. The territory faces a massive reconstruction challenge after two years of devastating bombing. Trump and Netanyahu have both ruled out any role for Hamas in Gaza's future .
The continued violence also underscores the urgency of these talks. Residents of Khan Younis and Gaza City reported new Israeli attacks early Tuesday. The Israeli military said militants in Gaza fired rockets into Israel, and that Israeli troops continued operations inside the enclave .
For civilians on both sides, the negotiations represent their best hope in years for an end to the conflict. "It's been two years that we are living in fear, horror, displacement and destruction," said Mohammed Dib, a 49-year-old Palestinian in Gaza .
In Israel, Hilda Weisthal expressed the widespread concern about the remaining hostages. "It's like an open wound, the hostages, I can't believe it's been two years and they are still not home," she said .
As negotiators work through the difficult details in Egypt, the world watches to see if this latest effort will finally bring a conflict that has claimed so many lives to a close.