Overview

• Indirect negotiations between Israeli and Hamas representatives opened in Sharm el‑Sheikh, with the first round reported by Arab media as positive and due to continue today.
• The initial phase of the U.S.-backed plan focuses on a ceasefire linked to a hostages‑for‑prisoners exchange and expanded humanitarian deliveries.
• Reports citing Israeli information say 48 hostages remain in Gaza, with about 20 believed to be alive.
• A key sticking point is which Palestinian prisoners would be freed, as Hamas demands Marwan Barghouti’s release and Israel refuses to release members of Hamas’s Nukhba unit.
• Mediators from Egypt, Qatar, Turkey and a U.S. envoy are facilitating the talks, President Trump projects rapid progress this week, and Germany’s foreign minister offers support for aid, stabilization and reconstruction planning.