Overview

• Negotiations are formally convening in Sharm el‑Sheikh with U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, Egyptian and Qatari mediators, and an Israeli team led by Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer.
• President Donald Trump says Israel accepted an initial withdrawal line and that a ceasefire and immediate hostage‑prisoner exchange would begin once Hamas confirms, while Secretary of State Marco Rubio urges swift results.
• Israel’s military has shifted to a defensive posture with reduced bombardment to enable talks, though sporadic strikes continue and Gaza City remains designated a combat zone.
• The first agenda item centers on releasing 48 hostages, roughly 20 believed alive, in exchange for proposals including 250 life‑term prisoners and about 1,700 detainees, as Hamas presses for a full ceasefire, an IDF pullback to January lines, and limits on air and drone activity during releases.
• Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insists all hostages—alive and deceased—must be returned before moving to other clauses, while major gaps persist over Hamas disarmament, Israel’s force posture inside Gaza, and the Strip’s future governance.