Israel and Hamas begin third-party discussions in Egypt on the US Gaza ceasefire initiative.

News Agency

Mediated discussions focused on achieving a lasting settlement on a Trump administration initiative to halt hostilities in Gaza have begun in the mediation venue of Sharm El-Sheikh.

Middle Eastern and regional officials have stated that the meetings are focused on "creating the field conditions" for a possible exchange that would involve the freeing of all Israeli hostages in exchange for a group of detained Palestinians.

Hamas has said it accepts the negotiation framework in part, but has failed to address several essential conditions - including its disarmament and political participation in Gaza.

Israel's prime minister said on Saturday that he hoped to announce the freeing of detained individuals "shortly"

Background Context

The discussions, which will feature Middle Eastern officials conducting mediation with teams from both Israel and Hamas in isolation, take place on the eve of the two-year mark of the Hamas-led attack on Israeli territories on 7 October 2023, in which about 1,200 people were lost their lives and 251 people were seized.

The defense forces began military actions in Gaza in countermeasure. Following the initial attack, approximately 67,160 have been lost their lives by Israeli military operations in Gaza, according to the territory's Hamas-run health ministry.

Initiative Components

The detailed initiative, which has been approved by US President Donald Trump and the Netanyahu government, outlines an quick halt to fighting and the release of 48 hostages, only 20 of whom are believed to be alive, in compensation of numerous of incarcerated individuals.

The plan stipulates that once both sides agree to the proposal "complete assistance will be quickly dispatched into the Palestinian territory"

It also specifies that Hamas would have no participation in governing Gaza, and it leaves the door open an eventual Palestinian state.

Current Situation

Recently, officials replied to the proposal in a announcement, in which the group approved "to liberate all Israeli prisoners, both surviving and deceased, following the swap arrangement contained in President Trump's proposal" - if the necessary circumstances for the transfers are met.

It failed to address or approve Trump's 20-point plan but said it "reaffirms its commitment to relinquish the administration of the Gaza Strip to a Palestinian body of professionals, founded on Palestinian national consensus and regional endorsement"

The declaration failed to address of one of the essential conditions of the plan – that Hamas accept its disarmament and to playing no further role in the governance of Gaza.

Global Perspectives

Local residents described the group's reaction to the ceasefire proposal as surprising, after days of suggestions that the faction was preparing to reject or at least substantially modify its approval of the American initiative.

Instead, Hamas excluded its traditional "red lines" in the formal declaration, a action many interpret as a indication of international influence.

International and regional officials have welcomed the proposal. The governing body, which governs parts of the Israeli-occupied West Bank, has called the Trump administration actions as "sincere and determined"

The Islamic Republic - which has been one of the organization's key backers for an extended period - has also now signalled its backing of Trump's Gaza peace plan.

Current Situation

Armed attacks continued in multiple areas of the conflict zone on recently prior to the negotiations starting.

Defense personnel is conducting an military operation in the metropolitan region, which it has stated is intended to obtaining the freeing of the still-detained individuals.

An official representative, representing Gaza's civil protection agency, reported that "assistance vehicles have been authorized access for the metropolitan area since the military operations started one month prior"

"There are still bodies we are unable to recover from locations under military occupation" he stated.

Numerous individuals of the urban center have been compelled to evacuate after the armed services required departures to a specified safe zone in the south, but further countless people are believed to have remained.

The military official has cautioned that those who remain during the military operation would be "terrorists and supporters of terror"

In the last 24 hours, 21 Palestinians have been fatally injured in Gaza and a another 96 injured, the local medical authorities said in its latest update.

Global media representatives have been restricted by the government from visiting the conflict zone autonomously since the start of the war, making confirming reports from the conflicting groups difficult.