Italian
Negotiations between Israel and Hamas begin in Cairo, focusing on hostage release and an immediate ceasefire.
CAIRO — A new window of hope opens for Gaza. After months of devastation and war, Israeli and Hamas negotiators meet today in Egypt to start talks that, if successful, could end a conflict lasting nearly two years.
The talks have been directly encouraged by U.S. President Donald Trump, who in a message released overnight urged the parties to “move quickly” and spoke of “significant progress” in the American peace plan.
“The first phase should conclude within this week,” the president wrote, referring to the exchange of hostages and prisoners that would pave the way for a full ceasefire in the Strip.
The Plan: Hostages for Prisoners and an Immediate Truce
According to the Egyptian Foreign Ministry, the summit in Cairo will focus on the release of the 48 Israeli hostages still held by Hamas in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian detainees in Israeli prisons.
The agreement, the first step of the Trump plan, foresees Hamas handing over all hostages within 72 hours, relinquishing political and military control over Gaza, and ceding power to a U.S.-led transnational authority. In return, Israel would gradually withdraw troops and allow a large influx of humanitarian aid and reconstruction funds.
The Israeli delegation, led by National Security Advisor Shosh Bedrosian, and the Palestinian delegation, headed by Khalil al-Hayya, deputy leader of Hamas’s political wing, will meet with the mediation of American and Egyptian representatives, including special envoy Steve Witkoff.
Growing Optimism and International Pressure
The past few hours have seen an unusual atmosphere of optimism. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio called the talks “the most concrete opportunity to free all hostages and stop the weapons.” Several international leaders also expressed support for the Washington plan: German Chancellor Friedrich Merz called Netanyahu to offer his backing, calling the plan “the best chance for peace.”
Israeli sources confirmed the goal is to close a deal within a few days. “The negotiations will last at most one week,” said Bedrosian, “but we are ready to do our part.”
Signs of willingness have also come from Gaza. A senior Hamas official told AFP that the movement is “very interested in an agreement that ends the war and paves the way for the prisoner exchange.”
Tense Situation on the Ground
Despite the prospect of a ceasefire, Israel continued raids in the Strip in the last 24 hours, causing 63 casualties according to Palestinian sources. However, several observers reported a significant reduction in bombing intensity, signaling that the Israeli military machine might be ready for a coordinated suspension of operations.
Trump, who on Saturday released a map outlining the planned withdrawal lines for Israeli troops, assured that a ceasefire will begin “immediately” once Hamas accepts the conditions. “We are close,” he said, “closer than many think.”
For an exhausted population counting over 67,000 dead and a shattered economy, even the mere prospect of silence from the guns represents a spark of hope. In Gaza, among the tents of refugee camps, families follow the news anxiously but also with cautious optimism. “We don’t fool ourselves,” says a resident of Khan Yunis, “but if there is even a small chance for peace, we want to believe in it.”
Today, for the first time after two years of war, the word “end” might stop being just a dream.
