Palestinian Hamas and Israeli officials begin indirect talks in Egypt on the US Palestinian peace plan.
News Agency
Indirect talks focused on achieving a lasting settlement on a US peace plan to end the war in Gaza have started in the mediation venue of the negotiation site.
Local and international officials have stated that the discussions are centered around "creating the field conditions" for a possible exchange that would involve the release of all captured Israelis in compensation of a number of Palestinian prisoners.
Officials declared it accepts the negotiation framework in part, but has failed to address several essential conditions - including its weapons surrender and governance position in Gaza.
Israel's prime minister said on Saturday that he expected to reveal the liberation of hostages "soon"
Historical Framework
The talks, which will feature regional and international officials facilitating discussions with teams from both the two sides in isolation, come on the approach of the second anniversary of the armed assault on border communities on 7 October 2023, in which approximately 1,200 people were killed and 251 people were seized.
The defense forces launched a campaign in Gaza in response. From that point, approximately 67,160 have been killed by Israeli military operations in Gaza, based on data from the area's Hamas-run health ministry.
Peace Plan Details
The 20-point plan, which has been approved by American leadership and Israeli officials, outlines an immediate end to combat and the liberation of 48 detained individuals, only 20 individuals are considered alive, in return for numerous of Palestinian prisoners.
The plan stipulates that once both sides agree to the plan "humanitarian support will be quickly dispatched into the Gaza Strip"
It also specifies that Hamas would have no involvement in governing Gaza, and it permits an independent Palestinian nation.
Current Situation
Recently, officials replied to the plan in a statement, in which the group consented "to liberate all detainees, both living and dead, according to the swap arrangement specified by the US initiative" - if the necessary circumstances for the exchanges are met.
It did not specifically mention or accept the detailed initiative but said it "restates its approval to hand over the administration of the conflict zone to a governing council of professionals, established through local agreement and Arab and Islamic support"
The declaration failed to address of one of the key demands of the initiative – that the militant group accept its disarmament and to playing no further role in the governance of Gaza.
Regional Reactions
Local residents portrayed the organization's answer to the peace plan as unexpected, after days of signals that the group was likely to refuse or at least substantially modify its approval of Trump's peace plan proposal.
Instead, the organization excluded its traditional "red lines" in the public announcement, a decision many consider a indication of outside forces.
International and regional officials have supported the proposal. The Palestinian Authority, which administers sections of the disputed regions, has described the American initiatives as "sincere and determined"
The Islamic Republic - which has been one of the organization's key backers for decades - has also now signalled its support for Trump's Gaza peace plan.
Current Situation
Armed attacks persisted in various locations of the Palestinian territory on the beginning of the week prior to the talks beginning.
Israel is carrying out an offensive in the city, which it has declared is aimed at achieving the freeing of the still-detained individuals.
An official representative, spokesman for the region's local emergency services, stated that "assistance vehicles have been allowed into the metropolitan area since the campaign commenced four weeks ago"
"Remains persist we cannot access from locations under Israeli control" he said.
Hundreds of thousands of the urban center have been required to leave after the defense forces required departures to a designated "humanitarian area" in the southern region, but additional numerous individuals are considered to have persisted.
The defense representative has warned that those who remain during the military operation would be "militants and their backers"
In the last 24 hours, 21 individuals have been fatally injured in Gaza and a further 96 wounded, the Hamas-run health ministry said in its current assessment.
International journalists have been restricted by the government from accessing the Palestinian territory independently since the beginning of the war, making confirming reports from both sides challenging.