Cairo: EgyPulse – News Desk
Egypt hosts on Monday delegations from Israel and Hamas to discuss the ground conditions and details of the exchange of all Israeli detainees and Palestinian prisoners, in accordance with US President Donald Trump’s proposal. This comes in the hope of ending the war and alleviating the suffering of the Palestinian people after nearly two years of suffering.
The Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed in a statement that these consultations are part of efforts to build on the regional and international momentum achieved following the presentation of US President Donald Trump’s plan to stop the war in the Gaza Strip. Hamas delegation, headed by Khalil al-Hayya, arrived in Egypt on Sunday to begin negotiations on the mechanisms for a ceasefire, the withdrawal of occupation forces, and the exchange of prisoners, according to a brief statement from Hamas.
A high-level Israeli delegation is expected to arrive Monday, to participate in meetings that will focus on implementing the first phase of US President Donald Trump’s plan, which he presented a few days ago and was approved by both the Palestinian and Israeli sides. Hamas on Friday gave a qualified approval on Trump’s 20-point Gaza proposal, agreeing to release all Israeli captives, both the living and the remains of the dead.
Trump’s plan defines post-war Gaza management under a Palestinian technocratic committee supervised by the so-called “Board of Peace,” which he will co-chair alongside former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair, remembered for his role in Iraq invasion. Meanwhile, Hamas agreed to hand over the administration of the strip to “a Palestinian body of independent technocrats, based on Palestinian national consensus and supported by Arab and Islamic backing,” without a mention to the foreign board.
Hamas also did not mention the provision of Trump’s plan regarding the demilitarisation of Gaza, a condition that clashes with the movement’s longstanding refusal to disarm while Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories continues. Trump commended Hamas’s response, saying he believes the movement is now “ready for a lasting PEACE.” The Israeli government said it is ready for the “immediate implementation” of the first phases of Trump’s Gaza plan.
While Israel reportedly ordered halting operations in Gaza City, home to almost half of the enclave’s 2.2 million population, at least 21 people were killed since Trump urged Israel late on Friday to “immediately stop the bombing of Gaza,” according to Reuters. Hamas and other armed factions still hold around 48 captives out of 251 they took from Israel into Gaza on 7 October 2023.
Most of those released were freed through swap deals mediated by Egypt, Qatar, and the United States, while only a handful were recovered in Israeli military raids, including eight alive and 41 bodies. The remaining captives could be released “within a few days,” a senior Israeli official told Channel 12 on Saturday.
