First day of Israel–Hamas indirect talks in Egypt ends on a positive note, negotiations to continue Tuesday
New Delhi, Oct 07: The first day of indirect talks between Israel and Hamas in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, ended on a positive note Monday, Al Jazeera reported, raising cautious optimism that a deal could emerge to implement US President Donald Trump’s 20-point peace plan aimed at ending the war in Gaza. Negotiators are set to resume discussions on Tuesday for a second round of meetings.
According to Al Jazeera Arabic, the opening session concluded with mediators drafting a roadmap for how talks will proceed, with all sides agreeing to continue working on key issues such as a ceasefire, hostage and prisoner exchanges, and humanitarian aid access to Gaza. The talks, attended by Egyptian, Qatari, Israeli, and US officials, mark the most significant diplomatic engagement between Israel and Hamas since the conflict began two years ago.
The BBC reported that the discussions in Sharm el-Sheikh focused on creating the “field conditions” for a potential exchange that would see all Israeli hostages released in return for Palestinian prisoners. A senior Israeli security source told the network that this first phase of the talks would focus solely on the release of hostages before moving to broader political and security arrangements.
Hamas’s delegation, led by Khalil al-Hayya and Zaher Jabarin, both survivors of an Israeli assassination attempt in Doha last month, warned mediators that continued Israeli strikes on Gaza were complicating progress on the hostage deal, Al Jazeera reported.
The 20-point plan, jointly endorsed by US President Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, outlines an immediate halt to fighting, the release of 48 hostages (20 believed to be alive), and the transfer of hundreds of Palestinian detainees. It also allows for full humanitarian access to Gaza and proposes a temporary transitional administration run by Palestinian technocrats, to be later handed to the Palestinian Authority (PA). However, major obstacles still persist.
The talks, held under Egyptian and Qatari mediation, with participation from US special envoy Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner, and Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, took place as the Israel–Hamas war marked its second anniversary on 7 October 2025.
Reuters, citing a Palestinian official close to the process, reported that Monday’s meeting concluded late in the evening, with negotiators agreeing to reconvene on Tuesday. Egypt’s Al-Qahera News described the atmosphere as “positive,” noting that discussions were progressing according to a planned framework.
The UN Secretary-General António Guterres and UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer both issued statements marking the second anniversary of the conflict, urging all sides to seize the current opportunity for peace.
As the second day of talks begins, observers say this round could prove decisive—testing whether the framework outlined by Washington can finally bring an end to two years of devastating conflict in Gaza.
