Hamas-Israel indirect talks in Egypt enter decisive phase as fighting continues in Gaza
Hamas-Israel indirect talks in Egypt enter decisive phase as fighting continues in GazaNegotiations between Hamas and Israel entered a more serious phase on Wednesday with heightened international involvement, as mediators are working to bridge gaps on Israeli withdrawal timelines and prisoner exchange mechanisms while fighting persisted in Gaza.
Senior officials from Qatar, Egypt, and Türkiye joined the third day of the Hamas-Israel indirect talks in Egypt’s Sharm el-Sheikh, providing what Hamas senior official Izzat al-Risheq described as “a strong push toward achieving positive results that could end the war and secure a prisoner exchange.”
Their involvement, al-Risheq said in a press statement, “narrows Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s options to prolong the aggression or obstruct the process.”
Tahir al-Nono, media advisor to Hamas’s political bureau head, confirmed in a press statement that “both sides exchanged lists of prisoners to be released according to agreed-upon criteria and numbers,” describing the atmosphere as “cautiously optimistic.”
Palestinian sources told Xinhua that the negotiations on the third day have achieved progress on several key issues, including ceasefire mechanisms, arrangements for partial Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, and prisoner exchange frameworks.
The talks now center on “implementation guarantees and a timetable for withdrawal,” the sources noted, adding that all sides “are working to reach a preliminary agreement that could pave the way for a broader deal.”
According to the sources, delegations from the Islamic Jihad movement and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine are also expected to join the talks later in the day, to strengthen the Palestinian negotiating position and “accelerate progress on the hostage issue.”
In a televised statement, Islamic Jihad Secretary-General Ziad al-Nakhala said “the prisoner exchange could be achieved within days, removing Israel’s pretext to continue its aggression.”
Meanwhile, Israel’s public radio reported that the expanded diplomatic engagement on Wednesday included U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, a close aide to Netanyahu, and intelligence chiefs from Egypt and Türkiye, alongside Qatar’s Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani.
The broadcaster said while Hamas maintains its demand for a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and binding international guarantees, Israeli security sources have indicated that Tel Aviv is prepared to conduct a tactical withdrawal from about 70 percent of Gaza but opposes a full pullout.
Despite diplomatic momentum, military actions continued in Gaza. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reported killing several militants in Gaza City on Wednesday, who it said were on their way to carry out an attack against Israeli forces in the area.
Also on Wednesday, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz visited troops in the Sabra neighborhood in Gaza City, authorizing the use of any necessary force to safeguard the lives of IDF soldiers “without any limitation or hesitation.”
According to a statement from his office, Katz said, “the decision to occupy Gaza City and the powerful maneuver bring about the possibility of ending the war now with victory.”
The three-day indirect talks, based on a U.S.-proposed 20-point Gaza ceasefire plan unveiled late last month, have received high-level regional support. Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi and his Algerian counterpart Abdelmadjid Tebboune discussed the implementation of the plan via a phone conversation on Wednesday.
According to a statement by the Egyptian presidency, Sisi stressed “the importance of building on the momentum generated by the U.S. plan and the international recognition of the State of Palestine” to launch “a peaceful political process conducive to the two-state solution, in accordance with the relevant resolutions of international legitimacy.”
For his part, Tebboune affirmed “Algeria’s full support for these efforts to end the suffering of the Palestinian people.”
The Hamas-Israel talks in Egypt are taking place amid the second anniversary of the Israeli war on Gaza, which began on Oct. 7, 2023. Gaza-based health authorities said Wednesday that the conflict has resulted in 67,183 Palestinian deaths and 169,841 injuries.
COURTESY: Xinhua
