Overview
- Indirect negotiations began on October 6 in Sharm el-Sheikh, with preparatory meetings in Cairo, to operationalize a plan to pause fighting in Gaza.
- The U.S.-backed proposal links a temporary ceasefire to phased releases of Israeli hostages in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, with an initial tranche of roughly 47 to 48 people.
- An Egyptian security source said the Israeli delegation was reticent to engage on implementation details and offered no assurances against renewed military action after any releases.
- The White House dispatched Jared Kushner and Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff to support the talks, and the ICRC said its teams are ready to help reunite released detainees with their families.
- Core disputes under discussion include demilitarization, Hamas’s political role in Gaza, and conditions for Israeli withdrawal, leaving progress uncertain as mediators seek to set a truce date.