On Sunday, October 5th, Hamas urged the immediate launch of a hostage-prisoner exchange with Israel as delegations from both sides gathered in Egypt for high-stakes negotiations aimed at ending the nearly two-year conflict.
Foreign ministers of several countries, including Egypt, said the talks were a “real opportunity” to achieve a comprehensive and sustainable ceasefire in Gaza.
“Hamas is very keen to reach an agreement to end the war and immediately begin the prisoner exchange process in accordance with the field conditions,” a senior Hamas official said.
The latest diplomatic efforts come the after islamist terror group Hamas has signaled partial acceptance, agreeing to release hostages and hand over power.
Negotiators are set to meet in the Egyptian resort city of Sharm El-Sheikh, where Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu voiced optimism that hostages held in Gaza could be released within days. Netanyahu said on Saturday he had instructed negotiators to go to Egypt “to finalise the technical details”, while Cairo confirmed it would also be hosting a delegation from Hamas for talks on “the ground conditions and details of the exchange of all Israeli detainees and Palestinian prisoners”.
The two parties are scheduled to hold indirect talks on Sunday and Monday, just ahead of the second anniversary of the October 7th Hamas-led terror attack that ignited the conflict. The White House said Trump had sent two envoys to Egypt—his son-in-law Jared Kushner and Middle East negotiator Steve Witkoff.
But Trump warned he would “not tolerate delay” from Hamas, urging the group to move quickly towards a deal “or else all bets will be off”.
“When Hamas confirms, the Ceasefire will be IMMEDIATELY effective, the Hostages and Prisoner Exchange will begin, and we will create the conditions for the next phase of withdrawal,” he posted on Truth Social, alongside a map of the proposed line.
Netanyahu said on X that “in the coming days we will be able to bring back all our hostages… during the Sukkot holidays,” referring to the week-long Jewish festival starting on Monday.
