Overview

• Indirect talks in Sharm el‑Sheikh wrapped their first round after several hours, with sessions due to resume Tuesday under Egyptian and Qatari mediation alongside U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.
• The agenda centered on phase one: release of roughly 48 remaining hostages—about 20 believed alive—in exchange for a partial Israeli pullback and the freeing of approximately 250 prisoners with life sentences plus about 1,700 Gaza detainees.
• Mediators focused on verification, withdrawal corridors and timing, with the plan’s 72‑hour return window widely seen as unrealistic and a staged timetable under discussion.
• Hamas accepted key elements such as the hostage formula and stepping aside from governance but has not agreed to disarm, while Israel supports the plan’s basics despite pressure from far‑right ministers.
• Israeli strikes continued despite U.S. calls to halt to enable releases, Gaza authorities reported fresh deaths, and the ICRC said it is ready to facilitate transfers.