Egypt’s Foreign Minister has said ‘significant progress’ has been made in the Gaza ceasefire negotiations, with the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces and entry of humanitarian aid at the centre of discussions.
Indirect negotiations between Hamas and Israel for a ceasefire in Gaza have resumed in Egypt, with “significant progress” being reported by the Egyptian foreign minister.
According to the Egyptian daily news outlet AlMasry Alyoum, this is the second day of Hamas–Israeli negotiations, taking place in the Red Sea city of Sharm el-Sheikh.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said that discussions are currently covering the terms of establishing a mechanism to ensure complete Israeli withdrawal, and grant full access to humanitarian aid for the 2.2 million Palestinians experiencing famine.
Abdelatty reported in a press conference today that he hopes this current round of negotiations will conclude with an end to the war and famine in Gaza, noting that “significant progress has been made”.
Earlier today, Qatar’s Foreign Ministry spokesman, Majed Al-Ansari, said that many details of US President Donald Trump’s “peace plan” required in-depth discussion and negotiation from both sides.
Ansari said at a press conference in Doha that the first day of talks on Monday concluded after four hours, which focused on removing all obstacles to achieving a ceasefire.
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“All parties have agreed to President Trump’s plan, and now the obstacles are under discussion,” he said.
“The US position is clear,” Ansari also added. “There is a link between the ceasefire and release of the (Israeli) hostages.”
The Qatari spokesman also stressed that the future of the Palestinian people should be determined by the Palestinians themselves.
Israel’s continued aggression
However, Israel has not stopped its attacks on civilians in Gaza. Since last Friday, when President Trump called on Israel to stop its attacks on Gaza effective immediately, Israel has killed 104 Palestinians.
Ansari, speaking at the press conference on Monday, said that “Israel should have stopped attacks under Trump’s plan, but what we see on the ground contradicts that.”
Day two of ceasefire negotiations
The most recent discussions today in Sharm el-Sheikh focused on the establishment of a mechanism that will guarantee complete Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, along with the unconditional entry of humanitarian aid into the enclave via UN channels. Minister Abdelatty stressed that a central focus of the negotiations is to establish a viable two-state solution and fully unite the occupied West Bank with the Gaza Strip.
The diplomat went on to reiterate his hope for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders, which would have East Jerusalem as its capital.
Abdelatty said that a US delegation headed by Special Envoy Steve Witkoff would be joining and participating in the negotiations on Wednesday 8 October.
Trump’s 20-point “peace plan” proposal was unveiled on September 29, which notably included terms such as an immediate ceasefire, the release of all Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, the disarmament of Hamas, and the rebuilding of Gaza.
According to Egypt’s state-run Al-Qahera news channel, the first day of negotiations between Israel and Hamas, brokered by Egypt and Qatar, ended late Monday night with a positive atmosphere.
Israel’s public broadcaster KAN reported that there was “optimism” from both the US and Israel, noting that an agreement could possibly be reached by Sunday.
Despite this, Israel is continuing its indiscriminate attacks on Palestinians in Gaza and the occupied West Bank.
Over 67,100 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, today marking two years since the genocide began.
