Overview

• Delegations from Hamas, Israel and the United States convened in Cairo and Sharm el-Sheikh, with Hamas negotiator Khalil al-Hayya arriving and an Israeli team led by Ron Dermer due to join, alongside US envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff.
• President Donald Trump urged negotiators to move fast and said the first phase could be completed this week, with discussions centered on a swift swap to unlock a truce.
• The proposed exchange envisions releasing 47–48 remaining hostages in Gaza, about 20 believed alive, in return for 250 prisoners serving life terms and more than 1,700 detainees, with releases targeted within 72 hours under the plan.
• Core disputes remain over Hamas disarmament, Gaza’s governance and the sequencing of Israeli troop withdrawal, and mediators are pushing for a single comprehensive package rather than a phased approach.
• Israeli strikes continued as at least 19–20 people were reported killed on Sunday, even as US Secretary of State Marco Rubio called for a halt to enable releases, and a new CAM report documented 13,339 antisemitic incidents worldwide since Oct 7, 2023.