CAIRO: Qatar’s prime minister and senior delegates from the United States and Turkey will join Hamas and Israeli negotiators on Wednesday for a third day of talks aimed at ending the Gaza war.
Israel and Hamas are holding indirect negotiations in the Egyptian resort town of Sharm El-Sheikh, based on a 20-point plan proposed by US President Donald Trump last month.
Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, Turkey’s intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin, Trump’s special Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner are all due to attend the talks.
“There’s a real chance that we could do something,“ Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Tuesday, adding that US negotiators were also involved in the talks.
Trump said he believes there is a possibility for peace in the Middle East that goes beyond the immediate Gaza situation.
The US president emphasised the urgent need for the immediate release of all hostages held in Gaza.
Trump pledged that the United States would do everything possible to ensure all parties adhere to any deal reached between Hamas and Israel.
The talks coincide with Israel commemorating the second anniversary of Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack that triggered the war.
Hamas-led militants launched the deadliest attack on Israel in the country’s history at the close of the Jewish festival of Sukkot.
The attack resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures.
Militants also took 251 people hostage into Gaza, with 47 remaining captive including 25 whom the Israeli military says are dead.
Global pressure to end the war has escalated dramatically amid widespread destruction in Gaza.
A UN-declared famine is unfolding in Gaza while Israeli hostage families continue longing for their loved ones’ return.
A United Nations probe accused Israel last month of genocide in Gaza while rights groups have accused Hamas of committing war crimes.
Both Israel and Hamas strongly reject the allegations made against them.
Hundreds of thousands of protesters joined pro-Palestinian mass demonstrations in cities across the world last weekend.
Demonstrations took place in Italy, Spain, Ireland and Britain calling for an immediate end to the war.
Protesters in the Netherlands called for their government to recognise a Palestinian state.
Tens of thousands in Britain defied Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s calls to skip rallies, holding vigils and gatherings on the October 7 anniversary.
Hamas’s top negotiator Khalil al-Hayya said the Islamist group wants guarantees from President Trump and sponsor countries that the war will end permanently.
Trump’s plan calls for a ceasefire, the release of all hostages, Hamas’s disarmament and a gradual Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.
The plan received positive responses from both Israel and Hamas, prompting indirect talks in Egypt since Monday.
A Palestinian source close to the Hamas negotiating team said Tuesday’s session included discussions about initial Israeli maps regarding troop withdrawal.
The source also confirmed discussions covered the mechanism and timetable for a hostage-prisoner exchange.
US representatives Witkoff and Kushner were expected to arrive in Egypt on Wednesday after initial expectations of a weekend arrival.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty stated that the primary guarantee of success at this stage is US President Trump himself.
Abdelatty suggested Trump might need to impose a vision if required to ensure the talks succeed.
Israel’s military campaign in Gaza has killed at least 67,160 people according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory.
The United Nations considers these casualty figures to be credible despite the source.
The data does not distinguish between civilians and combatants but indicates over half of the dead are women and children. – AFP