Overview

• Delegations led by Israel’s Ron Dermer and Hamas’s Khalil al‑Hayya convene in Cairo and Sharm el‑Sheikh for mediator‑run negotiations with US envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff.
• The opening agenda focuses on exchanging the remaining 48 hostages—about 20 believed alive—for the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners and a temporary halt to fighting.
• Trump urges Israel to stop bombing to enable safe transfers and says Israel accepted an initial withdrawal line, while Netanyahu vows to hold strategic areas until Hamas is disarmed.
• Hamas signals interest in a deal but ties releases to on‑the‑ground conditions and demands a halt to Israeli operations, as reports note continued strikes and new fatalities in Gaza.
• Germany and Gulf partners endorse the framework, the ICRC readies for potential handovers, and security experts caution that the 72-hour target for first releases may prove optimistic.