SHARM El SHEIKH: Israel and Hamas on Thursday agreed a ceasefire deal to free the living hostages in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails. Here is what we know so far about the agreement that was reached in indirect talks in Egypt:&nbsp;Hostage, prisoner releases&nbsp;Hamas will release 20 living hostages in one go as part of the first phase of the deal, according to a source close to the Hamas negotiating team. Israel will release nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners: 250 among those serving life sentences, and 1,700 others detained since the start of the war, a top Hamas official within Hamas told AFP, also on condition of anonymity. There has been no indication that Israel will disclose the names of those set for release. The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the agreement to secure the release of hostages would only take effect after receiving cabinet approval. &quot;Contrary to Arab media reports, the 72-hour countdown will begin only after the agreement is approved in the cabinet meeting, which is expected in the evening hours,&quot; Netanyahu&#39;s office said. Of the 251 people, Hamas still hold 47 in Gaza, including 25 the Israeli military says are dead.&nbsp;Prisoner lists&nbsp;A key point in the negotiations was a list of Palestinian prisoners submitted by Hamas which it wants released from Israeli jails in the truce&#39;s first phase. High-profile inmate Marwan Barghouti -- from Hamas&#39;s rival, the Fatah movement -- is among those the group wanted to see released, according to Egyptian state-linked media.&nbsp;400 trucks of aid&nbsp;A daily minimum of 400 trucks of aid will enter the Gaza Strip for the first five days of the ceasefire, to be increased in following days, the Hamas source said. It also provides for the &quot;return of displaced persons from the south of the Gaza Strip to Gaza (City) and the north immediately,&quot; the source added. The World Health Organization chief, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said his agency was prepared to &quot;scale up its work to meet the dire health needs of patients across Gaza, and to support rehabilitation of the destroyed health system&quot;. The UN agency for Palestinian refugees welcomed the deal as a &quot;huge relief&quot;, and said it was ready to flood Gaza with desperately-needed food.&quot;We have enough to provide food for the entire population for the coming three months,&quot; the agency&#39;s chief Philippe Lazzarini said on X.&nbsp;&#39;Scheduled withdrawals&#39;&nbsp;The deal stipulates &quot;scheduled withdrawals&quot; of Israeli troops, the Hamas top official said, and includes &quot;guarantees from President Trump and the mediators&quot;. The Israeli military said on Thursday it was preparing to pull back troops in Gaza as part of the deal.&nbsp;Key questions remain&nbsp;Trump&#39;s 20-point peace plan, on which the indirect negotiations were based, calls for the disarmament of Hamas and for post-war Gaza to be ruled by a transitional authority headed by Trump himself. But these points are yet to be addressed. Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas said he hoped the Gaza deal could lead to the establishment of an independent Palestinian state. But Netanyahu and members of his cabinet have repeatedly vowed to prevent this from happening.&nbsp;What next?&nbsp;The deal will be formally signed later on Thursday in Egypt, a source with knowledge of the agreement told AFP on condition of anonymity. Israel&#39;s cabinet will meet Thursday at 1500 GMT to discuss a plan to secure the release of all hostages held in Gaza, a government statement said. Far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich says he will not vote in favour. A Hamas official said negotiations for the second phase of the ceasefire would begin &quot;immediately&quot;. Negotiations in Egypt&#39;s resort town of Sharm El-Sheikh are taking place under lock and key in a conference center. Al-Qahera News, linked to Egypt&#39;s state, broadcast footage showing negotiators from Hamas, Turkey, Qatar, Egypt and the United States embracing and walking in high spirits. But Hamas and Israeli delegates were positioned in two different rooms, with mediators shuttling between them, and with no indication the foes would ever meet.

Middle East

Israel and Hamas agreed to a ceasefire involving the release of 20 hostages and nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners. The deal includes aid delivery, troop withdrawals, and indirect talks in Egypt, with key political questions unresolved.

What we know about the new Gaza deal

Web Desk

US president says all hostages will be released very soon, Israel will withdraw their troops to an agreed-upon line; adds that all parties will be treated fairly.

Israel and Hamas have agreed to first phase of peace plan: Trump 

CAIRO: Hamas said Wednesday that &quot;optimism&quot; was prevailing in indirect talks with Israel aimed at ending the Gaza war, with the Palestinian group submitting a list of prisoners it wants released in exchange for freeing Israeli hostages as part of an agreement. The talks aim to thrash out a plan to implement a 20-point peace proposal put forward by US President Donald Trump last month, and which both Israel and Hamas have responded positively to. The plan calls for a ceasefire, the release of all the hostages, Hamas&#39;s disarmament and a gradual Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. On Wednesday, Qatar&#39;s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, Turkey&#39;s intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin, Trump&#39;s special Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and the president&#39;s son-in-law Jared Kushner were all due in Sharm El-Sheikh. &quot;The mediators are making great efforts to remove any obstacles to the implementation of the ceasefire, and a spirit of optimism prevails among all parties,&quot; senior Hamas official Taher al-Nunu told AFP from Sharm El-Sheikh. List of prisoners&nbsp;The Palestinian group submitted a list of prisoners it wants to be released in the first phase of the truce &quot;in accordance with the agreed-upon criteria and numbers&quot;, Nunu added. In exchange, Hamas is set to release 47 hostages, both alive and dead.&nbsp;&quot;There&#39;s a real chance that we could do something,&quot; Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Tuesday. &quot;I think there&#39;s a possibility that we could have peace in the Middle East. It&#39;s something even beyond the Gaza situation. We want a release of the hostages immediately.&quot; &lsquo;Everything possible&rsquo;&nbsp;Trump said the United States would do &quot;everything possible to make sure everyone adheres to the deal&quot; if Hamas and Israel did agree on a ceasefire. Israel&#39;s military campaign in Gaza has killed at least 67,160 Palestinians, according to the health ministry in Gaza, figures the United Nations considers credible. <h2 style="line-height: 2;">Global pressure &nbsp;</h2>Global pressure to end the war has escalated, with much of Gaza flattened, a UN-declared famine unfolding and Israeli hostage families still longing for their loved ones&#39; return. A UN probe last month accused Israel of genocide in Gaza.&nbsp;Hundreds of thousands of protesters joined pro-Palestinian mass demonstrations in cities across the world last weekend calling for an immediate end to the war, including in Italy, Spain, Ireland and Britain. In Gaza, people were desperate for an end to a war that has upended their lives, interrupted their children&#39;s education, and left many families scarred by loss and grief. &quot;My dream is for the war to end now, not tomorrow,&quot; said Abeer Abu Said, a 21-year-old in Gaza who has lost seven family members in the war. <h2 style="line-height: 2;">&#39;Guarantees from President Trump&#39;</h2>Key to the negotiations will be the names of the Palestinian prisoners Hamas will push for. According to Egyptian state-linked media, high-profile inmate Marwan Barghouti -- from the Fatah movement -- is among those the group wants to see released. He has been imprisoned since 2002, and was sentenced to life behind bars in 2004 on murder charges. More broadly, Hamas&#39;s top negotiator, Khalil al-Hayya, said the group wants &quot;guarantees from President Trump and the sponsor countries that the war will end once and for all&quot;. Minister&#39;s visit condemned A Palestinian source close to the Hamas negotiating team said Tuesday&#39;s session included Hamas discussing &quot;the initial maps presented by the Israeli side regarding the withdrawal of troops as well as the mechanism and timetable for the hostage-prisoner exchange&quot;. Meanwhile, Hamas has condemned a visit by Israel&#39;s far-right national security minister Itamar Ben Gvir at the Al-Aqsa compound on Wednesday morning.

The Palestinian group has expressed optimism in ongoing Gaza ceasefire talks with Israel, involving a proposed US-backed plan including prisoner exchanges, hostage releases, and Israeli withdrawal; Hamas also condemned visit by Israel's far-right minister Itamar Ben Gvir at the Al-Aqsa compound.

'Optimism prevails' in Gaza talks with Israel: Hamas 

Doha: Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani will attend the ongoing Gaza peace talks in the Egyptian resort town of Sharm El-Sheikh on Wednesday, the foreign ministry said. Sheikh Mohammed&#39;s &quot;participation in the meetings... comes at a critical stage of the talks, reaffirming the determination of the mediators to reach an agreement that would bring an end to the catastrophic war in the Gaza Strip,&quot; the ministry said Tuesday on X.

Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani will attend the ongoing Gaza peace talks in the Egyptian resort town of Sharm El-Sheikh on Wednesday, the foreign ministry said

Qatar PM to join Gaza peace talks in Egypt: foreign ministry

JERUSALEM: Hamas said Tuesday it was working to overcome &quot;all obstacles&quot; as the Palestinian leaders held indirect talks with Israel aimed at ending the two-year Gaza war. &quot;The delegation of the movement participating in the current negotiations in Egypt seeks to surmount all obstacles to achieving an agreement that fulfils the aspirations of our people in Gaza,&quot; senior Hamas official Fawzi Barhoum said in a televised speech.

Europe

Hamas said it is working to overcome all obstacles in ongoing indirect talks with Israel in Egypt, aiming to reach an agreement that meets the aspirations of the Palestinian people in Gaza after two years of war

Hamas says working to 'surmount all obstacles' in Gaza talks

CAIRO: A US delegation headed by presidential envoy Steve Witkoff will take part in talks on Wednesday focused on a Gaza truce and a possible hostage-prisoner exchange, Egypt&rsquo;s Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said.&nbsp;Speaking at a joint press conference with his German counterpart, Abdelatty said Tuesday that he and Johann Wadephul &ldquo;held an extensive discussion with Steve Witkoff, who is due to arrive in Egypt within hours.&rdquo; <span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">The first day of talks focused on discussions around a proposed prisoner and captive exchange, a ceasefire, and the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza, a<span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" id="isPasted">ccording to Egypt&rsquo;s state-linked Al-Qahera News<span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">. The talks in Egypt&rsquo;s Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh are brokered by the US and aim at hammering out details for the plan&rsquo;s first phase. That includes a ceasefire to allow for the release of all remaining hostages held by Hamas in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners in Israel. Trump&#39;s plan has received wide international backing and raised hopes for an end to a devastating war that has upended global politics, left tens of thousands of Palestinians dead and the Gaza Strip in ruins. The war began on Oct. 7, 2023, following a Hamas-led attack on Israel. Many uncertainties remain around the latest plan, including the demand for Hamas to disarm and the future governance of Gaza. Tuesday marks two years since the war began. Here&rsquo;s what we know: Who&rsquo;s at the talksUS envoy Steve Witkoff is leading the US negotiating team, according to a senior Egyptian official Saturday. Local Egyptian media said that Witkoff and Jared Kushner, Trump&rsquo;s son-in-law, arrived in Egypt and are expected to join the talks. The Israelis are led by top negotiator Ron Dermer, while Khalil al-Hayyah leads the Hamas delegation. Netanyahu&rsquo;s office said that foreign policy adviser Ophir Falk would also be present for Israel among others. It&#39;s not clear how long the talks would last. Netanyahu said they would be &ldquo;confined to a few days maximum,&rdquo; and Trump has said that Hamas must move quickly, &quot;or else all bets will be off.&quot; Hamas officials have warned more time may be needed to locate bodies of hostages buried under rubble. The plan&rsquo;s essentialsAll hostilities would &mdash; in theory &mdash; immediately end. Under the deal, Hamas would release all hostages it holds, living or dead, within 72 hours. The militants still have 48 hostages. Israel believes about 20 of them are alive. Israel would free 250 Palestinians serving life sentences in its prisons and 1,700 people detained from Gaza since the war began, including all women and children. Israel also would hand over the bodies of 15 Palestinians for each body of a hostage handed over. Israeli troops would withdraw from Gaza after Hamas disarms, and an international security force would deploy. The territory would be placed under international governance, with Trump and former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair overseeing it. An interim administration of Palestinian technocrats would run day-to-day affairs. Hamas would have no part in administering Gaza, and all its military infrastructure, including tunnels, would be dismantled. Members who pledge to live peacefully would be granted amnesty. Those who wish to leave Gaza can.&nbsp; Palestinians wouldn&#39;t be expelled from Gaza. Large amounts of humanitarian aid would be allowed and would be run by &ldquo;neutral international bodies,&rdquo; including the United Nations and the Red Crescent. What Hamas has saidA Hamas statement on Friday said that it was willing to release the hostages and hand over power to other Palestinians, but that other aspects of the plan require further consultations among Palestinians. The statement made no mention of Hamas disarming, which is a key Israeli demand. The statement also reiterated its longstanding openness to handing power over to a politically independent Palestinian body. What Israel has saidNetanyahu said on Friday that Israel was prepared for the implementation of the &ldquo;first stage&rdquo; of Trump&rsquo;s plan, apparently referring to the release of hostages. But his office said in a statement that Israel was committed to ending the war based on principles that it has set out before. Netanyahu has long said that Hamas must surrender and disarm. Israel&rsquo;s army on Saturday said that the country&rsquo;s leaders had instructed it to prepare for the first phase of the US plan. What remains uncertainQuestions include the timing of key steps. One Hamas official said that it would need days or weeks to locate some hostages&#39; bodies. And senior Hamas officials have suggested that there are still major disagreements requiring further negotiations. A key demand is for Hamas to disarm, but the group&#39;s response made no mention of that. It&rsquo;s not clear that Hamas officials can agree among themselves on the plan. A senior official, Mousa Abu Marzouk, said that Hamas was willing to hand over its weapons to a future Palestinian body that runs Gaza, but there was no mention of that in the group&#39;s official statement responding to Trump&#39;s plan. Another official, Osama Hamdan, told Al Araby television that Hamas would refuse foreign administration of the Gaza Strip and that the entry of foreign forces would be &ldquo;unacceptable.&rdquo; Parts of the plan remain unclear. Hamas wants Israel to leave Gaza completely, but the plan says Israel would maintain a &ldquo;security perimeter presence,&rdquo; which could mean it would keep a buffer zone inside the territory. And the future of Gaza remains in question. The plan says that if the Palestinian Authority, which administers the occupied West Bank, reforms sufficiently and Gaza redevelopment advances, &ldquo;the conditions may finally be in place for a credible pathway to Palestinian self-determination and statehood.&rdquo; With additional input from AFP.

Israel and Hamas begin US-brokered talks in Egypt on Trump’s peace plan, aiming for a Gaza ceasefire, hostage-prisoner exchange, Hamas disarmament, Israeli withdrawal, and international governance to end the two-year war.

US envoy Witkoff to lead delegation joining Gaza talks Wednesday: Egypt FM

CAIRO: Israeli and Hamas officials are set to hold indirect talks at an Egyptian resort on Monday on a US-drafted peace plan to end the ruinous war in Gaza on the eve of its second anniversary.&nbsp;Many uncertainties remain about the plan presented by U.S. President Donald Trump last week, including the disarmament of the militant group &mdash; a key Israeli demand &mdash; and the future governance of Gaza. Trump has indicated an agreement on Gaza could pave the way for a Middle East peace process that could reshape the region.&nbsp;Despite Trump ordering Israel to stop the bombing, Israel continued to pound Gaza with airstrikes, killing at least 19 people in the last 24 hours, Gaza&#39;s Health Ministry said.&nbsp;The indirect negotiations will take place in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, where the Israeli delegation, headed by top negotiator Ron Dermer, is scheduled to arrive on Monday, according to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu&rsquo;s office. Hamas&rsquo; delegation, headed by Khalil al-Hayyah, arrived Sunday in Egypt, the group said.&nbsp;It said negotiations will focus on the first stage of a ceasefire, including the partial withdrawal of Israeli forces as well as the release of hostages held by the militants in Gaza in exchange for Palestinian prisoners in Israeli detention.&nbsp;US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and President Donald Trump&rsquo;s son-in-law Jared Kushner are also expected to join the talks, Egypt&rsquo;s state-run al-Ahram reported.&nbsp;This latest push for peace comes after Hamas accepted some elements of the US plan that Israel also said it supported. Under the plan, Hamas would release the remaining 48 hostages &mdash; about 20 believed to be alive &mdash; within three days. It would give up power and disarm.&nbsp;The talks in Egypt are expected to move quickly. Netanyahu said they would be &ldquo;confined to a few days maximum,&rdquo; though some Hamas officials have warned more time may be needed to locate the bodies of hostages buried under rubble.&nbsp;Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi hailed Trump&rsquo;s efforts. &ldquo;A ceasefire, the return of hostages and detainees, the reconstruction of Gaza, and the start of a peaceful political process leading to the establishment and recognition of a Palestinian state mean that we are on the right path toward lasting peace and solid stability,&rdquo; he said.&nbsp;He underscored the importance of preserving the US-crafted &ldquo;peace system&rdquo; in the Middle East since the 1970s, which he said &ldquo;served as a strategic framework for regional stability.&rdquo;&nbsp;El-Sisi spoke in a televised address commemorating the anniversary of the Oct. 6, 1973, war with Israel that led to Egypt reclaiming the Sinai Peninsula, where Sharm el-Sheikh is located. US wants Israeli bombing to stopThe US has said Israel&#39;s heavy bombardment of Gaza would need to stop for the hostages to be released. Israel says it&#39;s largely heeding Trump&#39;s call.&nbsp;Israel&#39;s military said it is mostly carrying out defensive strikes to protect troops, though dozens of Palestinians have been killed since the military&#39;s statement Saturday night.&nbsp;Gaza&#39;s Health Ministry said Monday the bodies of 19 people, including two aid-seekers killed by Israeli strikes and gunfire, had been brought to hospitals over the past 24 hours. Another 96 were wounded. The deaths brought the Palestinian toll to 67,160 since the Hamas attack on Oct. 7, 2023, triggered the war, with nearly 170,000 wounded, the ministry said.&nbsp;The ministry does not differentiate between civilians and combatants, but says more than half of the deaths were women and children. The ministry is part of the Hamas-run government, and the UN and many independent experts consider its figures to be the most reliable estimate of wartime casualties.&nbsp;Hamas-led abducted 251 people and killed around 1,200, mostly civilians, in the Oct. 7 attack. Most of the Israeli hostages have been released in ceasefires or other deals.&nbsp;Meanwhile, families of Israeli hostages petitioned the Nobel Prize Committee to award the Nobel Peace Prize to Trump for what they called his unprecedented contributions to global peace.&nbsp;&ldquo;At this very moment, President Trump&rsquo;s comprehensive plan to release all remaining hostages and finally end this terrible war is on the table,&rdquo; the families wrote. &ldquo;For the first time in months, we are hopeful that our nightmare will finally be over.&rdquo;&nbsp;In a commemoration ceremony for Israelis killed at the Nir Oz Kibbutz on Oct. 7, Daniel Lifshitz said the primary focus of talks should be the swift release of all remaining hostages.&nbsp;&ldquo;Israel will pay painful concessions by releasing mass murderers and terrorists that killed many among our friends and families here in Israel, but we cherish life and in Trump we trust to make it happen, and that we will have good news in 24 to 36 hours,&quot; said Lifshitz, grandson of slain hostage Oded and released hostage Yocheved Lifshitz. &#39;Living in fear, war and displacement&#39;In Gaza, families of Palestinian babies born on the day the war began hoped to celebrate their second birthday to the sound of laughter and cheers instead of the cacophony of bombing and bullets.&nbsp;Mothers&#39; hope for a normal life has long worn thin amid repeated displacements, a constant fear for their safety and a lack of access to proper healthcare.&nbsp;Rola Saqer said the two years since giving birth to her daughter Masa have been full of suffering.&nbsp;&ldquo;I was hoping (Masa) would grow up with a strong personality, but she is weak. She has suffered malnutrition. The girl has weighed eight kilos (17 pounds) for five months now,&rdquo; she said.&nbsp;Laundry, a plastic chair, and a carpet make up the bulk of the family&#39;s possessions in their tent in the Nuseirat refugee camp.&nbsp;Amal al-Taweel and her husband, Mostafa, had their son, Ali, after three years of trying to conceive a child. They now live in a tent without proper sanitation, food, vaccination,s and even toys.&nbsp;&ldquo;I was envisioning a different life for him &hellip; He couldn&rsquo;t experience what a safe family life feels like,&quot; al-Taweel said.&nbsp;

Israeli and Hamas officials are set to hold indirect talks at an Egyptian resort on a US-drafted peace plan to end the ruinous war in Gaza

Israel, Hamas prepare for Egypt talks before Gaza war anniversary

ISLAMABAD: The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said on Monday that it was ready to act as a neutral humanitarian intermediary to help bring Israeli and Palestinian hostages back to their families, Reuters reported. &quot;We are also prepared to bring aid into Gaza and distribute it safely to civilians in desperate need,&quot; ICRC President Mirjana Spoljaric said in a statement. Israel and Hamas prepared for indirect negotiations in Egypt on Monday, as hopes for a possible ceasefire in Gaza grew after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said a hostage release could be announced this week, the Associated Press reported. US President Donald Trump has welcomed the Hamas statement accepting some elements of the US peace plan. <div class="fr-embed responsive-video"><div class="video-wrapper aspect-video" style="line-height: 2;"><iframe src="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/115312181572421839/embed" class="truthsocial-embed" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" style="width: 100%; height: 100%; min-height: 0px;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>Israel has stated that it supports the new US effort. The delegation, led by top Israeli negotiator Ron Dermer, will leave on Monday for the talks in Sharm el-Sheikh, Netanyahu&#39;s office said. &lsquo;Closest we&rsquo;ve come&rsquo;An Egyptian official said the Hamas delegation had arrived.&nbsp; The official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to brief reporters, said US envoy Steve Witkoff is joining the talks. Discussions will focus on the proposed exchange of hostages for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel, Egypt&rsquo;s foreign ministry said. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio called the situation &ldquo;the closest we&rsquo;ve come to getting all of the hostages released.&rdquo; Egyptian president praises Trump&#39;s plan&nbsp; Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi praised US President Donald Trump&#39;s Gaza plan on Monday, as negotiators from Hamas, Israel and the United States converged on Egypt to discuss a hostage-prisoner exchange and ceasefire, the AFP reported. &quot;I can only extend my praise and appreciation for US President Donald Trump,&quot; he said in an address, adding: &quot;A ceasefire, the return of prisoners and detainees, the reconstruction of Gaza and the launch of a peaceful political process that leads to the establishment and recognition of the Palestinian state means we are on the right path to lasting peace and stability.&quot; Back to the &lsquo;yellow line&rsquo;Speaking on ABC&rsquo;s &ldquo;This Week,&rsquo;&rsquo; he described two phases after Hamas accepts Trump&rsquo;s framework: The hostages are released and Israel pulls back in Gaza to the &ldquo;yellow line,&rdquo; where it was in August. Rubio told CBS that Hamas should release hostages as they are ready, and that bombardment needs to end so they can be released. The US plan also addresses Gaza&#39;s future, the Associated Press reported. In a text exchange with CNN&rsquo;s Jake Tapper, Trump said there would be &ldquo;complete obliteration&rdquo; if Hamas stayed in power there.&nbsp; Trump also texted that Netanyahu was on board for ending the bombing and peace in Gaza, but added, &ldquo;soon on the rest.&rdquo; Support for a ceasefire growsIsraeli government spokeswoman Shosh Badrosian told journalists that Netanyahu is in &ldquo;regular contact&rdquo; with Trump and that the prime minister has stressed that the talks in Egypt &ldquo;will be confined to a few days maximum.&rdquo; &ldquo;I hope that we are closest to a hostage deal since the (ceasefire) deal in January,&rdquo; Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa&rsquo;ar said in a speech. Anxious relatives of hostages gathered near Netanyahu&#39;s residence in Jerusalem, with some urging Trump to continue to apply pressure.&nbsp; Israel&#39;s recent military offensive in Gaza City led many to fear for the hostages&#39; lives. &ldquo;We cannot allow such a historic agreement to be sacrificed again,&rdquo; said Michel Ilouz, father of Guy Ilouz. &lsquo;Full Israeli withdrawal&rsquo;As hundreds of thousands of people marched across several European cities and elsewhere in support of Palestinians, the foreign ministers of eight Muslim-majority countries issued a joint statement welcoming steps toward a possible ceasefire. They also underlined their commitment to the return of the Palestinian Authority to Gaza, unifying Gaza and the West Bank, and reaching an agreement leading to a &ldquo;full Israeli withdrawal&rdquo; from Gaza. Rubio told ABC that decisions regarding a governing structure or an international group to manage Gaza can be made simultaneously with the first step of the ceasefire. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s the part that I think is going to be a little tougher to work through, but that&rsquo;s what&rsquo;s going to provide permanency to the end of the conflict,&rdquo; he said. Iran supports moves towards Palestinian &#39;self-determination&#39;Iran said Sunday it supports &quot;any initiative&quot; aiming to secure &quot;self-determination&quot; for the Palestinian people, on the eve of negotiations in Egypt on ending the war between the Palestinian group and Israel, AFP reported. Iran &quot;has always supported any initiative aimed at ending ethnic cleansing, war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza, and paving the way for the realisation of the Palestinian people&#39;s right to self-determination,&quot; the Iranian foreign ministry said in a statement, adding that Tehran was ready to help deliver aid to the coastal strip. Strikes continue&nbsp;Trump has ordered Israel to stop bombing Gaza, but residents and local hospitals said strikes continued across the territory, according to AP. The Israeli government spokeswoman, Badrosian, said &ldquo;certain bombings have actually stopped inside the Gaza Strip.&rdquo; But Israel&rsquo;s military chief of staff, Lt Gen Eyal Zamir, said that &ldquo;if the political effort does not succeed, we will return to fight.&rdquo; 24 Palestinians killed&nbsp;Despite a call from Trump for Israel to pause its Gaza offensive, the Israeli army has continued its bombing campaign. Israeli troops killed at least 24 Palestinians on Sunday, Al Jazeera reported. Among the victims were four asylum seekers who were shot near an aid distribution centre north of Rafah, the Nasser Medical Complex said. Doctors Without Borders confirmed the death of colleague Abed El Hameed Qaradaya, who was wounded in an attack on Thursday that killed another colleague in Gaza, AP reported. Gaza&rsquo;s health ministry said the Palestinian death toll in the war reached 67,139 on Sunday, with nearly 170,000 injured. The UN and many independent experts consider the ministry&rsquo;s figures to be the most reliable estimate of wartime casualties. Israel&#39;s military has warned residents not to return to northern Gaza. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re on the brink, and we don&rsquo;t know whether one will die of a strike or starvation,&rdquo; said Mahmoud Hashem, a Palestinian father sheltering in a tent in Gaza City.

Hamas and Israel are preparing for indirect negotiations in Egypt amid rising hopes for a Gaza ceasefire; talks center on a US-backed plan involving hostage release, Hamas disarmament, and steps toward long-term peace in Gaza

Red Cross offers to mediate hostage, detainee swap

GAZA: A senior Hamas official on Sunday said the Palestinian militant group is eager to reach an agreement to end the war and implement a prisoner swap with Israel, as negotiators converge in Egypt for talks. Israeli and Hamas negotiators are set to iron out details during talks in Egypt in a bid to end nearly two years of war in Gaza, after Hamas approved a peace plan proposed by US President Donald Trump. Hamas negotiators travelling from Doha are expected to arrive in Cairo on Sunday before heading to Sharm el-Sheikh to participate in indirect negotiations with the Israeli delegation, the official said on condition of anonymity, as he was not authorised to speak on the matter. &quot;Hamas is very keen to reach an agreement to end the war and immediately begin the prisoner exchange process in accordance with the field conditions,&quot; he said.&nbsp;&quot;The occupation must not obstruct the implementation of President Trump&#39;s plan. If the occupation has genuine intentions to reach an agreement, Hamas is ready.&quot; A Palestinian source close to Hamas told AFP that the two delegations would be in the same building but away from media coverage. &quot;The negotiations aim to discuss the timeline for preparing field conditions for the transfer of captives held in Gaza, as a prelude to launching the prisoner exchange process,&quot; he added. &quot;During communications with mediators, Hamas insisted that it is essential for Israel to halt military operations across all areas of the Gaza Strip, cease all air, reconnaissance, and drone activity, and withdraw from inside Gaza City,&quot; the source said. &quot;In parallel with the cessation of Israeli military activity, Hamas and the resistance factions will also halt their military operations and actions,&quot; he added. The talks are also expected to include discussions of maps to be provided by Israel showing withdrawal routes and timelines, which will coincide with the prisoner exchange process, the source said. The Hamas delegation will also present lists of Palestinian prisoners who must be released by Israel in return for the Israeli captives, he said. According to Trump&#39;s plan, Israel is expected to release 250 Palestinian prisoners with life sentences and more than 1,700 detainees from the Gaza Strip who were arrested after October 7, 2023.

A Palestinian flag stained with red paint is carried aloft during a pro-Palestinian demonstration in solidarity with the Global Sumud Flotilla after their ships were intercepted by the Israeli navy. (AP)

Hamas says it is keen to start a prisoner exchange with Israel immediately as talks begin in Egypt under Trump’s Gaza peace plan conditions.

Hamas keen to reach deal, begin prisoner exchange 'immediately': official

ISLAMABAD: Hamas says it is ready to free Gaza hostages under US President Donald Trump ceasefire proposal, AFP reported on Saturday. &quot;The movement announces its approval for the release of all hostages -- living and remains -- according to the exchange formula included in President Trump&rsquo;s proposal,&quot; Hamas said in a statement, adding it was ready to enter negotiations &quot;to discuss the details&quot;. US President Donald Trump said Friday he believed Hamas was ready for peace and told Israel to stop bombing Gaza, after the Palestinian group declared it was ready to free hostages under his ceasefire plan.&nbsp; &quot;Based on the Statement just issued by Hamas, I believe they are ready for a lasting PEACE. Israel must immediately stop the bombing of Gaza, so that we can get the Hostages out safely and quickly!&quot; Trump posted on Truth Social.<div class="fr-embed responsive-video"><div class="video-wrapper aspect-video" style="line-height: 2;"><iframe src="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/115312298602997974/embed" class="truthsocial-embed" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" style="width: 100%; height: 100%; min-height: 0px;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>The US president also shared Hamas&#39; response to his peace proposal on Truth Social.&nbsp;<div class="fr-embed responsive-video"><div class="video-wrapper aspect-video" style="line-height: 2;"><iframe src="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/115312181572421839/embed" class="truthsocial-embed" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" style="width: 100%; height: 100%; min-height: 0px;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>&nbsp;Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu&#39;s office said on Saturday that Israel was seeking the &quot;immediate implementation&quot; of US President Donald Trump&#39;s plan to free Israeli hostages in Gaza, after Hamas said it was ready for peace talks, according to AFP. Closest to ceasefire, gratitude due to Trump: PM Sharif Separately, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said that a ceasefire was closer &quot;than we have been since this genocide&quot; started against the Palestinian people.&nbsp; In a post on X, PM Sharif said Pakistan has always stood by the Palestinian people and shall always do so.&nbsp; &quot;Gratitude is due to President Trump, as well as to leaderships of Qatar, Saudia Arabia, UAE, Turkiye, Jordan, Egypt, and Indonesia who, met with President Trump on the sidelines of UNGA80 [United Nations General Assembly] for the resolution of the Palestinian issue,&quot; PM Sharif said.&nbsp; &quot;The statement issued by Hamas creates a window for a ceasefire and ensuring peace that we must not allow to close again,&quot; he said. He added that Pakistan would continue to work with all its partners and friendly nations to everlasting peace in Palestine. &#39;Immediate implementation&#39;&nbsp; &quot;In light of Hamas&#39;s response, Israel is preparing for the immediate implementation of the first stage of the Trump plan for the release of all the hostages,&quot; Netanyahu&#39;s office said in a statement. &quot;We will continue to work in full cooperation with the President and his team to end the war in accordance with the principles set out by Israel, which align with President Trump&#39;s vision.&quot; Israel&#39;s political echelon instructed the military to reduce offensive activity in Gaza after it said it was preparing for an &quot;immediate implementation&quot; of the first stage of US President Donald Trump&#39;s Gaza plan following Hamas&#39; response on the plan, according to Reuters. A statement issued by St&eacute;phane Dujarric, spokesman for the Secretary-General of the United Nations stated: &ldquo;The Secretary-General welcomes and is encouraged by the statement issued by Hamas announcing its readiness to release hostages and to engage on the basis of the recent proposal by US President Donald J Trump.&rdquo; &ldquo;He urges all parties to seize the opportunity to bring the tragic conflict in Gaza to an end. The Secretary-General also thanks Qatar and Egypt for their invaluable mediation work. The Secretary-General reiterates his consistent call for an immediate and permanent ceasefire, the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages, and unfettered humanitarian access,&rdquo; the statement said. &ldquo;The United Nations will support all efforts toward these objectives to prevent even more suffering,&rdquo; it added.

Israel says ready to implement first stage of Trump's plan for release of all hostages; Hamas also seeks administration of Gaza to a Palestinian body; PM Sharif says closest to ceasefire, gratitude due to Trump.


Trump urges Israel to 'stop bombing Gaza' as Hamas agrees to freeing hostages

DOHA: Israel&rsquo;s military said Tuesday it carried out an airstrike targeting Hamas leadership. The announcement came after multiple explosions were heard in Doha, Qatar&rsquo;s capital. The Qatari-funded news network Al Jazeera linked the explosions to an Israeli announcement that it targeted top Hamas leaders in a strike. The loud blasts sent black smoke into the air. It wasn&rsquo;t immediately clear if anyone was injured in the attack. Qatar condemnsQatar condemned the &ldquo;cowardly Israeli attack&rdquo; on Hamas headquarters in Doha and called it a violation of international law. &quot;This criminal assault constitutes a blatant violation of all international laws and norms, and poses a serious threat to the security and safety of Qataris and residents in Qatar,&quot; said a <a href="https://twitter.com/majedalansari/status/1965407402607677474">post on X&nbsp;</a>from Dr. Majed Al Ansari, advisor to the prime minister and official spokesperson for the ministry of foreign affairs. He said that Qatar will not tolerate any disruption of regional security. Investigations are being carried out and further details will be announced soon, he said. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also condemns attackIn <a href="https://twitter.com/CMShehbaz/status/1965434239933125086">a post on X</a>, Pakistan&rsquo;s prime minister Shehbaz Sharif wrote, &ldquo;Our deepest sympathies and solidarity are with the Amir, His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the Qatari Royal Family, as well as the people of Qatar at this difficult time.&rdquo;&nbsp; &ldquo;This act of aggression by Israel is totally unjustified, a brazen violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Qatar, and constitutes a most dangerous provocation that could imperil regional peace and stability. Pakistan stands firmly with the State of Qatar, as well as with the people of Palestine against Israel&rsquo;s aggression.&rdquo; Qatar&#39;s role as mediatorHamas&rsquo; exiled leadership has long been based in Qatar, which has served as a mediator in talks between Hamas and Israel for several years, even before the latest war in the Gaza Strip. A strike on its top leadership could further complicate negotiations over a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of hostages taken in Hamas&rsquo; October 7, 2023 attack. With additional inputs from AP

Qatar condemned the “cowardly Israeli attack” on Hamas headquarters in Doha, and called it a violation of international law


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