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Hamas senior official and leader of the negotiating team to Egypt, Khalil al-Hayya, says that the group needs “real guarantees” of a lasting ceasefire as part of any deal to return the remaining 48 hostages still under captivity in Gaza.
Peace talks between Israel and Hamas have gained momentum at the Egyptian Red Sea resort city of Sharm el Sheikh as negotiators continue discussions aimed at bridging gaps and materialising the first phase of US President Donald Trump’s proposed peace plan.
The comments came in what seems to be al-Hayya’s first public appearance since an Israeli strike targeted him and other top Hamas officials in a strike on Qatar’s capital, Doha, last month, which killed six people, including his son and office manager.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said that negotiations were progressing and aim to reach an agreement soon on the implementation of the first phase of Trump’s plan.
“In Sharm el-Sheikh, the city of peace, negotiations are underway between the Israeli and Palestinian sides to work on reaching an agreement on the first phase of this agreement,” said Abdelatty.
“Through working on releasing the hostages and a number of Palestinian prisoners and redeploying Israeli forces to prepare the climate on the ground to complete the step of releasing the hostages” continued the top Egyptian diplomat.
Qatar, which has for a long time been a key mediator between Israel and Hamas, noted that major obstacles over the implementation of the agreements could prevent the deal from materialising.
“A major obstacle in the current negotiations is the implementation of the agreements. We must find practical solutions to ensure the swift execution of these agreements,” said Majed al-Ansari, Qatar’s Foreign Ministry Spokesperson.
“Allowing the international community to enter the Gaza Strip seamlessly while activating monitoring mechanisms immediately to prevent further deterioration of the situation,” he added.
Qatar said its prime minister and top diplomat, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani, would travel to Egypt on Wednesday to join the negotiations.
Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, as well as top adviser to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Ron Dermer, are also expected to join the talks then.
Netanyahu has accepted Trump’s plan, which calls for the immediate release of the hostages. The plan also calls for Gaza to be placed under international governance and for Hamas to be disarmed, elements the militants have yet to accept.
Netanyahu’s office said on Tuesday that Israel was “cautiously optimistic,” framing the talks as technical negotiations over a plan that both sides already had approved.
Trump’s plan has received widespread international backing. On Monday, the US president told reporters that he believes there is a “really good chance” of a lasting deal being reached soon, perhaps during the talks in Egypt.
Additional sources • AP
