Palestinian Hamas and Israeli officials start indirect negotiations in the Egyptian city on Trump's Gaza peace plan.

Conflict zone News Agency
Israeli forces continue combat operations in the northern Gaza Strip for multiple weeks.

Third-party negotiations working toward a comprehensive deal on a US peace plan to end the war in Gaza have begun in the Egyptian city of the negotiation site.

Middle Eastern and regional officials have indicated that the sessions are concentrating on "creating the field conditions" for a anticipated transfer that would see the liberation of all Israeli hostages in return for a quantity of Palestinian prisoners.

Hamas has said it agrees to the negotiation framework partially, but has not responded to several key demands - particularly its military demobilization and political participation in Gaza.

The government official said on Saturday that he expected to reveal the release of captives "soon"

Background Context

The negotiations, which will involve Egyptian and Qatari officials conducting mediation with delegations from both the two sides individually, come on the verge of the second anniversary of the military operation on southern Israel on the initial attack date, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage.

The Israeli military launched a campaign in Gaza in countermeasure. Since then, over 67,000 have been fatally injured by defense force actions in Gaza, according to the area's local health authorities.

Initiative Components

The detailed initiative, which has been agreed upon by US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, proposes an immediate end to combat and the liberation of 48 captives, only a portion are believed to be surviving, in exchange for numerous of detained Gazans.

The framework requires that once the two parties agree to the plan "full aid will be promptly delivered into the conflict zone"

It also states that Hamas would have no role in governing Gaza, and it allows for an eventual Palestinian state.

Latest Updates

In the latest development, the group answered to the initiative in a declaration, in which the group approved "to free all detainees, both alive and killed, according to the transfer mechanism specified by President Trump's proposal" - if the proper conditions for the transfers are satisfied.

It omitted reference to or accept Trump's 20-point plan but said it "reaffirms its commitment to transfer the management of the Gaza Strip to a governing council of professionals, based on regional unity and international backing"

The announcement failed to address of one of the crucial requirements of the plan – that the militant group consent to its weapons surrender and to having no future involvement in the governance of Gaza.

Regional Reactions

Many Palestinians described the group's reaction to the ceasefire proposal as unexpected, after multiple days of suggestions that the group was preparing to reject or at least substantially modify its acceptance of the American initiative.

Alternatively, the organization omitted its established limits in the formal declaration, a action many interpret as a indication of international influence.

International and regional officials have welcomed the initiative. The local administration, which controls areas of the Israeli-occupied West Bank, has described the American initiatives as "authentic and resolute"

Iran - which has been one of the group's primary supporters for decades - has also now signalled its endorsement of the American initiative.

Ongoing Reality

Armed attacks continued in multiple areas of the Palestinian territory on Monday before the negotiations starting.

Israeli forces is conducting an combat campaign in the city, which it has stated is intended to achieving the release of the still-detained individuals.

Mahmoud Basal, speaking for the territory's local emergency services, indicated that "no aid trucks have been allowed into the urban center since the offensive began four weeks ago"

"Victims remain we cannot access from areas under defense force authority" he stated.

Countless residents of Gaza City have been compelled to evacuate after the defense forces required departures to a established protection region in the southern region, but additional numerous individuals are considered to have persisted.

The military official has cautioned that those who persist during the military operation would be "terrorists and supporters of terror"

In the last 24 hours, 21 individuals have been fatally injured in Gaza and a further 96 injured, the local medical authorities said in its most recent report.

Foreign correspondents have been prohibited by Israel from entering the conflict zone autonomously since the beginning of the conflict, making confirming reports from the conflicting groups challenging.

Karina Burch
Karina Burch

A passionate writer and artist exploring themes of intimacy and self-expression through creative works and personal narratives.