Israel sent a delegation to Egypt on October 6 to take part in talks aimed at ending the war in Gaza. The Israeli delegation headed to Egypt in the wake of President Donald Trump announcing that Hamas had accepted the Gaza peace deal he had proposed on September 29. The talks were expected to begin on Monday, October 6, in Sharm el Sheikh on the Sinai Peninsula.
Israel’s priority has been the return of the 48 hostages held in Gaza. Around 22 of the hostages are believed to be still alive, according to Israeli media reports. Trump has urged all parties to expedite the process, and the talks are expected to last several days, a Palestinian source told Arab News.
When Trump proposed his peace deal on September 29, he stated that the 20-point plan had the backing of countries throughout the Middle East. On October 3, the American president said that Hamas had accepted his deal, and he asked Israel to stop airstrikes in Gaza ahead of talks. While the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) appeared to curtail airstrikes, Israeli government Spokesperson Shosh Bedrosian said on Sunday that “while certain bombings have actually stopped inside of the Gaza Strip, there’s no ceasefire in place at this point in time.”
Trump urged all parties to “move fast” to agree and implement the deal in a social media post on October 5. He has stated that peace in Gaza is part of a broader effort to achieve peace in the region. Trump’s October 5 post also noted that the talks had been successful, were proceeding, and that “technical teams will again meet Monday, in Egypt, to work through and clarify the final details.” Trump added that he expected the first “phase” of the agreement to be completed during the week of October 5. However, Trump’s post raised questions about the timeline of the deal. Under the terms of the peace proposal, the 48 hostages are supposed to be released within 72 hours of an agreement.
Hamas’s delegation to Egypt is headed by Khalil al Hayya, according to the BBC. “US special envoy Steve Witkoff, Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner and Qatari foreign minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani will also attend,” the BBC noted on October 5. Israel’s delegation is led by Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, according to Ynet. “The Israeli delegation, which landed in Sharm el-Sheikh on Monday afternoon, includes Shin Bet deputy director M., hostage affairs coordinator Gal Hirsch, retired Maj. Gen. Nitzan Alon, Netanyahu’s foreign policy adviser Ofir Falk and representatives from the Mossad and IDF,” Ynet noted.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on October 5 and said that there must be continued pressure on Hamas to bring about the release of Israel’s hostages. “We will continue to act decisively until all the aims of the war are achieved, including the return of all the hostages and ensuring Israel’s security,” Netanyahu stated. The Prime Minister’s Office also said that he had held a meeting to prepare for the release of the hostages.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said on October 6 that “the [Trump] administration is working very hard to move the ball forward as quickly as we can. The president wants to see a ceasefire. He wants to see the hostages released.” However, there appear to be points of contention between Israel and Hamas. One issue relates to Hamas trying to recover the bodies of all the hostages. In addition, Hamas’s disarmament and the future governance of Gaza remain to be resolved, the BBC noted on October 6.
“Palestinian officials expressed skepticism about the chances of reaching a quick agreement,” according to Ynet. Hamas wants to see Israel withdraw from certain areas in Gaza under the phases of the deal. At the same time, Netanyahu has said that “Hamas will be disarmed,” adding, “It will happen either diplomatically via Trump’s plan or militarily by us. […] I also told Washington that. It will be achieved either the easy way or the hard way, but it will be achieved.”
The potential deal has received significant support in the region. According to Al Ain media in the UAE, even Iran has openly supported “any initiative to stop the fighting in Gaza.” In Egypt, the state-linked Al Qahera News reported that the discussions on October 6 are “preparing ground conditions for the release of detainees and prisoners. […] Egyptian and Qatari mediators are working with both sides.”
