Delegations representing Israel and Hamas convened on October 6, 2025, in the Egyptian resort city of Sharm El Sheikh, marking the first day of indirect negotiations aimed at halting the war in Gaza. The talks, taking place under the auspices of US President Donald Trump’s peace initiative, were attended by intermediaries from Egypt, the United States, and Qatar. According to reporting by Al-Qahera News and Kathmandu Post, both sides have publicly endorsed the broad principles of Trump’s plan, which calls for a cessation of hostilities, the release of hostages, and the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza.
The backdrop to these negotiations is nothing short of staggering. The conflict, now approaching its second anniversary, was ignited by the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023—a day that left 1,200 people dead and saw 251 hostages taken, making it the deadliest day for Jews since the Holocaust. Israel’s retaliatory campaign has since killed over 67,000 Palestinians, with the majority of Gaza’s 2.2 million residents now homeless and hungry, as reported by Gaza health authorities and cited by Kathmandu Post.
US President Donald Trump, who has made the Gaza peace process a centerpiece of his foreign policy, expressed optimism as the delegations sat down. “I really think we’re going to have a deal,” Trump told reporters at the White House on Monday. “We have a really good chance of making a deal, and it’ll be a lasting deal.” Trump’s administration has pressed for swift negotiations, touting this as the closest the two sides have come to ending the protracted conflict. The plan has garnered support from both Arab and Western states, raising hopes for a breakthrough.
Despite this optimism, the talks have quickly run into familiar stumbling blocks. Both delegations are seeking clarifications on crucial details—many of which have derailed previous attempts at peace. According to a Palestinian official close to the negotiations, Hamas used the first session to outline its stance on the release of hostages and to discuss the scale and timeline for Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza. The group also voiced concerns about whether Israel would commit to a permanent ceasefire and a comprehensive pullout.
Even as discussions were underway, the realities of war remained painfully evident. Gaza residents reported that while Israel had scaled back its offensive for the talks, airstrikes and the demolition of houses continued. Gaza health authorities said that 19 people were killed by Israeli strikes in the 24 hours preceding October 7—a figure still grim, but about a third of the typical daily toll in recent weeks.
The talks are scheduled to resume on Tuesday, with all parties aware that the stakes could not be higher. “If there is a deal, then we survive. If there isn’t, it is like we have been sentenced to death,” said Gharam Mohammad, a 20-year-old displaced resident of central Gaza, in comments reported by Kathmandu Post. For many Gazans, a ceasefire now represents their last hope.
Inside Israel, public pressure to end the war and secure the return of hostages is mounting. However, right-wing members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s cabinet remain staunchly opposed to any halt in fighting. According to Israeli officials, the initial focus of the talks will be strictly on the release of hostages, with Israel unwilling to compromise on withdrawing troops beyond the so-called yellow line—a strategic buffer zone defined in Trump’s plan. Any further withdrawal, Israeli sources insist, would depend on Hamas meeting a set of conditions.
Yet, a major sticking point persists: the disarmament of Hamas. According to a Hamas source cited by Reuters, the group has made it clear that it will not disarm unless Israel ends its occupation and a Palestinian state is created. This position was echoed forcefully by Israel-based Maj. (Res.) Alexander Grinberg, who stated on Global Pulse on October 6, 2025, that “Hamas will never agree to disarm or surrender.” Grinberg added that the Palestinian militant group would also not agree to release all Israeli hostages, casting further doubt on the prospects for a comprehensive agreement.
The composition of the negotiating teams underscores the gravity and complexity of the talks. The Israeli delegation includes officials from the intelligence agencies Mossad and Shin Bet, as well as Netanyahu’s foreign policy adviser Ophir Falk and hostages coordinator Gal Hirsch. Israel’s chief negotiator, Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, is expected to join later in the week, depending on how the talks progress. The Hamas delegation is led by Khalil Al-Hayya, the group’s exiled Gaza leader, who survived an Israeli airstrike in Doha a month ago that killed his son.
The United States has sent special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law, whose ties to the Middle East have made him a key player in the administration’s efforts. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters that the parties “are going over the lists of both the Israeli hostages and also the political prisoners who will be released.”
While the atmosphere at the end of the first day of talks was described as “positive” by Al-Qahera News, no one is under any illusions about the challenges ahead. An official briefed on the negotiations, speaking anonymously, suggested that the round of talks initiated on Monday would likely require several days. Trump’s 72-hour deadline for the hostages’ return, he noted, could be unrealistic—especially for those presumed dead, whose remains may need to be located and recovered from scattered sites.
As the second anniversary of the October 7 attack loomed, the United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres issued a statement urging all sides to seize the opportunity presented by Trump’s plan to end what he called “this tragic conflict.” Yet, with Israeli forces still advancing through Gaza City and flattening neighborhoods, and with the fate of hostages and the future of a battered enclave hanging in the balance, the prospect of an immediate breakthrough remains uncertain.
For now, the world watches as negotiators return to the table, hoping for progress but wary of disappointment. The coming days will reveal whether this latest push can deliver the lasting peace that has eluded the region for so long.
