Overview

• Negotiating teams convened in Sharm el‑Sheikh for indirect talks mediated by Egypt, with the first phase centered on procedures to free Israeli hostages in return for Palestinian prisoners.
• Hamas has conditionally accepted elements of President Trump’s plan, pledging in principle to release hostages while insisting Israel halt military activity across Gaza and pull back from Gaza City.
• Israel’s delegation is led by Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer and Hamas’s by Khalil al‑Hayya, with U.S. envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff on site as Germany, Qatar and other partners voice support.
• The U.S. plan envisages returning all 48 hostages within 72 hours and releasing 250 prisoners serving life terms plus roughly 1,700 detainees, with later steps addressing Hamas disarmament and Gaza’s governance.
• Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Hamas will be disarmed diplomatically or by force and signals troops will hold key areas until that occurs, as the ICRC coordinates logistics and Trump presses for rapid results.