Overview

• Indirect negotiations between Hamas and Israel resumed Tuesday in Sharm El‑Sheikh under Egypt’s lead, building on a U.S. multi‑point plan to halt the fighting in Gaza.
• Egypt’s foreign minister said U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff will join the talks Wednesday, alongside mediators from Egypt, Qatar and Turkey.
• Agenda items include a cease-fire framework, phased Israeli pullback, reciprocal releases of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners, expanded humanitarian access, and post‑conflict governance options such as a temporary international force.
• Key gaps, outlined by the Wall Street Journal, involve the order and verification of hostage releases against withdrawal steps, Hamas’s demand to free high‑profile prisoners including Marwan Barghouti, and specificity on withdrawal lines.
• Delegations are led by Israel’s Ron Dermer and Hamas’s Khalil al‑Hayya, while Cairo seeks UN Security Council endorsement; an Arab League official estimated chances of success above 50% but warned breakdown remains possible.