Tense negotiations as Hamas gives update on Gaza peace deal

Talks between Hamas and Israel in Egypt are showing signs of progress as both sides exchange lists of prisoners and hostages in what could mark a major step toward ending the Gaza war.

A senior Hamas official, Taher al-Nunu, told AFP from Sharm El-Sheikh that discussions were moving forward in a “spirit of optimism”, with mediators working to clear obstacles to a possible ceasefire.

According to him, Hamas has submitted names of prisoners it wants freed in the first phase of a truce deal, while the group is expected to release 47 Israeli hostages, both living and deceased, seized during the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel.

Sources close to the negotiations say the talks also focus on a timeline for implementing U.S. President Donald Trump’s 20-point peace initiative and the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza.

Trump, whose envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff are part of the mediation team, said on Tuesday he was “encouraged by the progress” toward a possible peace agreement, two years after the Hamas assault that ignited the ongoing conflict.

Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani, and Turkish intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin are among the key figures participating in the Sharm El-Sheikh talks.

Hamas is pushing for a “comprehensive ceasefire” and total Israeli withdrawal, while Israel insists the militant group must disarm, a demand Hamas rejects.

If the current proposals go through, Israel will release 250 Palestinians serving life sentences, along with 1,700 detainees arrested since October 7, including women and children.

Despite the renewed diplomatic push, Israeli forces continue operations in Gaza, where Hamas-run authorities claim over 67,000 people have been killed since the war began.