Overview

• Indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas opened on October 6 in Sharm el‑Sheikh under U.S. mediation, with further sessions set for October 7.
• President Donald Trump said he is confident a deal will be reached and described the first round as constructive, though no agreement has been announced.
• The U.S. plan calls for an immediate cease-fire upon agreement, Hamas to free all hostages within 72 hours, Israel to release more than 1,900 Palestinian detainees, and staged Israeli withdrawals while targeting Hamas military infrastructure.
• Hamas has indicated readiness to release hostages but is seeking guarantees that Israeli forces will withdraw as scheduled and objects to later-stage provisions on disarmament and postwar governance.
• Israeli leaders have ordered a reduction in operations, yet fighting continues and a severe humanitarian crisis endures in Gaza, with reported deaths of at least roughly 67,000.