The talks are taking place as Gaza marks the second year anniversary of Israel’s genocide in the territory that has relentlessly persisted.
The latest round of indirect negotiations between Hamas and Israel aimed at reaching a ceasefire in Gaza have continued in Egypt on Tuesday, Qatar’s Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Majed Al-Ansari said.
“Yesterday [Monday] witnessed four hours of intense and meticulous negotiations in Sharm El-Sheikh,” Al-Ansari told a weekly press briefing in Doha, noting the talks focused on identifying obstacles towards reaching a deal.
The current talks are centred on the 20-point peace plan presented by U.S. President Donald Trump on September 29, accepted by Hamas and Israel.
Al-Ansari noted that several details required “agreements on implementation of handover of captives, release of Palestinian prisoners, and entry of aid” among other key points listed in the proposed plan.
“The meetings continue. All parties are pushing towards reaching an agreement,” he said.
Some of the points outlined included Israel’s withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, handing over living and dead captives, and release of Palestinian detainees. The proposed plan also entailed the end of Hamas’s role in the governance of Gaza.
“The U.S. position is clear: there is a linkage between a ceasefire and the release of the hostages,” Al-Ansari said.
Earlier, Egypt’s Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said discussions were underway over the establishment of a mechanism that would ensure Israel’s complete withdrawal from the Gaza Strip.
Abdelatty, in a press conference on Tuesday, noted that the mechanism is also aimed at enabling the entry of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip through the United Nations.
The talks are taking place as Gaza marks the second year anniversary of Israel’s genocide in the territory that has relentlessly persisted.
The mediators, Qatar, Egypt and the U.S., had reached two separate truces that ended with Israel’s resumption of its brutal onslaught in the Gaza Strip. The mediators had reached a ceasefire deal on January 15, only to be broken by Israel on March 18.
The past two years also saw Israel attack six other countries, including Lebanon, Syria, Qatar, Iran, Yemen, and the Gaza-bound flotillas in Tunisia.
Since October 7, 2023, Israel has killed more than 67,000 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, including at least 20,000 children, with thousands others trapped under the rubble.
Israel has also caused a famine in the Strip by completely blocking the entry of aid, with more than 460 dead due to starvation.
