CAIRO – Hamas yesterday called for a swift start to a hostage-prisoner exchange with Israel as negotiators from the two warring sides meet in Egypt for crucial talks aimed at ending the nearly two-year war.
Foreign ministers of several countries, including Egypt, said the talks were a “real opportunity” to achieve a comprehensive and sustainable ceasefire in Gaza.
“Hamas is very keen to reach an agreement to end the war and immediately begin the prisoner exchange process in accordance with the field conditions,” a senior Hamas official told AFP on condition of anonymity.
The diplomatic push follows the Palestinian militant group’s positive response to US president Donald Trump’s roadmap for the release of captives in exchange for Palestinians held in Israeli jails.
Negotiators are due to hold talks in the Egyptian resort of Sharm El-Sheikh, with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressing hope hostages held in Gaza could be released within days.
Netanyahu said on Saturday he had instructed negotiators to go to Egypt “to finalise the technical details”, while Cairo confirmed it would also be hosting a delegation from Hamas for talks on “the ground conditions and details of the exchange of all Israeli detainees and Palestinian prisoners”.
Egyptian state-linked media said the two parties would hold indirect talks yesterday and today, just before the second anniversary of the October 7 Hamas attack that sparked the war.
The White House said Trump had sent two envoys to Egypt – his son-in-law Jared Kushner and Middle East negotiator Steve Witkoff.
“During communications with mediators, Hamas insisted that it is essential for Israel to halt military operations across all areas of the Gaza Strip, cease all air, reconnaissance, and drone activity, and withdraw from inside Gaza City,” a Palestinian source close to Hamas said.
“In parallel with the cessation of Israeli military activity, Hamas and the resistance factions will also halt their military operations and actions,” he added.
According to Trump’s plan, Israel is expected to release 250 Palestinian prisoners with life sentences and more than 1 700 detainees from the Gaza Strip who were arrested after 7 October, 2023, when Hamas attacked Israel, triggering the ongoing war.
But Trump warned he would “not tolerate delay” from Hamas, urging the group to move quickly towards a deal “or else all bets will be off”.
Trump said on Truth Social that Israel had agreed to an initial line of withdrawal in Gaza and that this had been shared with Hamas.
“When Hamas confirms, the Ceasefire will be immediately effective, the Hostages and Prisoner Exchange will begin, and we will create the conditions for the next phase of withdrawal,” he posted, alongside a map of the proposed line.
Netanyahu said “in the coming days we will be able to bring back all our hostages… during the Sukkot holidays,” referring to the week-long Jewish festival that begins today.
– Nampa/AFP