Overview

• Senior figures from the US, Qatar and Turkey, including envoy Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner, Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al‑Thani and Turkish intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalın, arrived in Sharm el‑Sheikh to add political weight to the indirect talks.
• Negotiators reported no concrete progress, with both Israel and Hamas holding firm; Hamas seeks guarantees that Israeli attacks will stop after any hostage release, and Israel has not agreed to those terms.
• Israeli airstrikes in Gaza continued as the talks proceeded, and Hamas has not committed to laying down its arms.
• Israel counts 48 hostages still in Gaza, with only about 20 believed alive, and dispute over prisoner releases persists, with reports that Hamas is pressing for high‑profile detainees such as Marwan Barghouti.
• The humanitarian situation remains dire, including a UN‑recognized famine in Gaza City, and German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul joined meetings in Egypt urging faster results to maintain trust in the process.