Hamas delegation in Egypt for talks on Trump’s Gaza ceasefire plan
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Cairo: A Hamas delegation arrived in Egypt on Sunday ahead of negotiations in Sharm El Sheikh to discuss the first phase of US President Donald Trump’s proposed Gaza ceasefire plan, Egyptian sources told Xinhua.
Talks between the Palestinian group and Egyptian officials are set to begin on Monday, with discussions expected to center on prisoner exchanges between Hamas and Israel and the framework for Hamas to hand over its weapons, the sources said to Xinhua.
Following the Hamas talks, Egypt will also meet an Israeli delegation. Outcomes from both meetings will be shared with US Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, who are due to arrive in Egypt shortly.
On Saturday, Egypt’s Foreign Ministry confirmed that negotiations would cover “field conditions and details” for a comprehensive exchange of Israeli detainees and Palestinian prisoners under the US-backed 20-point plan.
The development comes as Israel temporarily halted airstrikes in Gaza to give the ceasefire process a chance. “Hamas must move quickly, or else all bets will be off. I will not tolerate delay ... Let's get this done, FAST,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, adding: “When Hamas confirms, the Ceasefire will be IMMEDIATELY effective, the Hostages and Prisoner Exchange will begin, and we will create the conditions for the next phase of withdrawal.”
In a separate post, Trump said Israel had agreed to an initial withdrawal line, which has already been shown to Hamas.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, meanwhile, expressed hope that the release of all hostages from Gaza could be announced “in the coming days” as indirect talks continue in Egypt.