CAIRO (AP) — Israeli and Hamas officials are meeting in an Egyptian resort Monday in hopes of hammering out a potential ceasefire in Gaza on the eve of devastating war’s second anniversary.
The indirect negotiations will take place in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh where the Israeli delegation, headed by top negotiator Ron Dermer, is set to arrive Monday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said.
Hamas’ delegation, headed by Khalil al-Hayyah, arrived Sunday in Egypt, the group said in a statement.
It said the negotiations will focus on the first stage of a ceasefire, including the partial withdrawal of Israeli forces as well as the release of hostages held by the militants in Gaza in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli detention.
U.S. Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner are also expected to join the talks, Egypt’s state-run Al-Ahram reported.
This latest push for peace comes after Hamas accepted some elements of the U.S. peace plan, a move welcomed by Trump. Israel has said it supported the new U.S. effort. Under the plan, Hamas would release the remaining 48 hostages — about 20 believed to be alive — within three days. It would give up power and disarm.
The talks in Egypt are expected to move fast as Netanyahu said they would be “confined to a few days maximum,” though some Hamas officials have warned more time may be needed to locate bodies of hostages buried under rubble.
Tamping down bombing
Israel’s heavy bombardment of Gaza would need to stop for Israeli hostages to be released. Israel says it’s largely heeding Trump’s call for ending the bombing. The Israeli military said its is mostly carrying out defensive strikes to protect troops, though dozens of Palestinians have been killed since Saturday night when the military made the announcement.
The Israeli military said Monday that it eliminated “a terrorist cell armed with explosive devices and mortars” that on Sunday intended to attack Israeli soldiers.
It also destroyed another “terrorist cell” that launched a mortar injuring one soldier, as well as a structure from where an anti-tack missile was launched against Israeli army engineering machinery.
Hamas-led militants abducted 251 people and killed around 1,200, mostly civiliants in the Oct. 7, 2023 attack that triggered the war. Most of the hostages have been released in ceasefire or other deals.
Gaza’s Health Ministry said the Palestinian death toll in the war reached 67,139 on Sunday, with nearly 170,000 injured. The ministry does not differentiate how many of those killed were civilians or combatants, but says women and children make up about half of the dead. The ministry is part of the Hamas-run government, and the U.N. and many independent experts consider its figures to be the most reliable estimate of wartime casualties.
‘Living in fear, war and displacement’
In Gaza, Palestinian babies born on the day that the war began are hoping to celebrate their second birthday to the sound of laughter and cheers instead of the cacophony of bombs, missiles and bullets.
The hope of mothers to bring up their children in some semblance of normality that many take for granted has long worn thin amid the despair of repeated displacements, a constant fear for their safety and a lack of access to proper healthcare.
Rola Saqer said the two years since giving birth to her daughter Masa have been full of suffering and misery.
“I was hoping (Masa) would grow up with a strong personality, but she is weak. She has suffered malnutrition. The girl has weighed eight kilos for five months now,” Rola , who was displaced from Gaza’s northern town of Beit Lahia, said.
Rola and her husband Mohammed Zaqout have been trying to have a child for five years.
“I am scared for my daughter. She is two, and she has been living in fear, war and displacement,” said Saqer. Hanging laundry, a plastic chair, a carpet and a basic settee make up the family’s possessions in their tent in the Nuseirat refugee camp.
Amal al-Taweel and her husband, Mostafa, had their son Ali after three years of trying for a child. The family is now living in a tent and Amal said Ali is being deprived of proper sanitation, food, vaccinations and even toys.
“I despair because I cannot provide my son with everything. I was envisioning a different life for him… He couldn’t live in his house and did not get to see his room. He couldn’t experience what a safe family life feels like. There are strikes, destruction and displacement,” Amal said.
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Lidman reported from Tel Aviv, Israel. ___
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