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Delegations from Israel and Hamas began indirect negotiations in Egypt on Monday that the US hopes will bring a halt to the war in Gaza, facing contentious issues such as demands that Israel pull out of the enclave and Hamas to disarm.Israel and Palestinian resistance movement Hamas have both endorsed the overall principles behind President Donald Trump's plan, under which fighting would cease, hostages go free and aid pour into Gaza, the closest they have come to an end to fighting.The plan also has the backing of Arab and Western states. Trump has called for negotiations to take place swiftly towards a final deal, in what Washington hails as the closest the sides have yet come to ending the fighting.Under the proposal, administration of the territory would be taken up by a technocratic body overseen by a transitional authority headed by Trump himself."I am told that the first phase should be completed this week, and I am asking everyone to MOVE FAST," Trump said in a social media post.But both sides are seeking clarifications of crucial details, including over issues that have wrecked all previous attempts to end the war and could defy any quick resolution.Trump has told Israel to suspend its bombing of Gaza for the talks. Gaza residents said Israel had scaled back its offensive substantially, although it had not halted it altogether.Egyptian state TV reported that the talks had begun at the Red Sea resort of Sharm El Sheikh.Egyptian sources said Hamas was seeking clarification of several details, including guarantees that Israel would follow through with promises to withdraw its troops from Gaza once the militants give up their leverage by freeing their hostages.Inside Israel there is clamour for an end to the war to bring home hostages, although right-wing members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's cabinet oppose any halt to fighting.Though Trump says he wants a deal quickly, an official briefed on the negotiations, speaking on condition of anonymity, said he expected the round of talks would require at least a few days.An official involved in ceasefire planning and a Palestinian source said Trump's deadline to send all hostages back within 72 hours could be impossible to meet in the case of bodies of dead hostages, some of which would need to be located and recovered from burial sites scattered across the battlefield.A Palestinian official close to the talks was sceptical about prospects of a breakthrough given deep mutual mistrust, saying Hamas and other Palestinian factions were worried that Israel might ditch negotiations once it recovered the hostages.The Israeli delegation includes officials from spy agencies Mossad and Shin Bet, Netanyahu's foreign policy adviser Ophir Falk and hostages coordinator Gal Hirsch. Israel's chief negotiator, Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, was expected to join later this week, pending developments in the negotiations, according to three Israeli officials.Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner are also expected in Egypt.The Hamas delegation is led by the group's exiled Gaza leader, Khalil al-Hayya, who survived an Israeli airstrike that killed his son in Doha, the Qatari capital, a month ago.Al-Qahera News, which is linked to Egypt's state intelligence, said "Egyptian and Qatari mediators are working with both sides to establish a mechanism" for the exchange of hostages held in Gaza for the Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.Behind closed doors and under tight security, negotiators will speak through mediators shuttling back and forth.According to the Palestinian source, the initial hostage-prisoner exchange will "require several days, depending on field conditions related to Israeli withdrawals, the cessation of bombardment and the suspension of all types of air operations".Negotiations will look to "determine the date of a temporary truce", a Hamas official said, as well as create conditions for a first phase of the plan, in which 47 hostages held in Gaza are to be released in return for hundreds of Palestinian detainees.Mirjana Spoljaric, head of the International Committee of the Red Cross, which has coordinated previous exchanges, said its teams were standing at the ready "to help bring hostages and detainees back to their families".On Monday, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi praised Trump's plan saying it offered "the right path to lasting peace and stability".

Israel needs to stop bombing Gaza for an eventual hostage release by Palestinian resistance group Hamas to take place, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Sunday."I think the Israelis and everyone acknowledge you can't release hostages in the middle of strikes, so the strikes will have to stop," Rubio told CBS News talk show "Face the Nation.""There can't be a war going on in the middle of it."In a text exchange with a CNN reporter released Sunday, US President Donald Trump said "yes" when asked if Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was on board with ending the military campaign in Gaza.Negotiators from Israel and Hamas were set to hold talks in the Egyptian resort town of Sharm El-Sheikh Monday.Rubio, who appeared on several Sunday talk shows to speak about the situation in Gaza, told NBC's "Meet the Press" that there were "logistical challenges" to address to pave the way for the hostage release.He also predicted that the longer-term goals would be "even harder" to attain, in terms of how the war-ravaged territory will be governed and disarming fighters."You can't set up a government structure in Gaza that's not Hamas in three days. I mean, it takes some time," Rubio told NBC.Hamas on Sunday called for a swift start to a hostage-prisoner exchange with Israel, as negotiators from both sides prepared to meet in Egypt for crucial talks aimed at ending the nearly two-year war in Gaza.Foreign ministers from several countries, including Egypt, said the talks were a "real opportunity" to achieve a sustainable ceasefire."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 told AFP on condition of anonymity.The diplomatic push follows Hamas's positive response to US President Donald Trump's roadmap for an end to the fighting and the release of captives in Gaza in exchange for Palestinians held in Israeli jails.Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the Israeli delegation would be departing for Egypt on Monday.Cairo confirmed it would be hosting a delegation from Hamas for discussions on "the ground conditions and details of the exchange of all Israeli detainees and Palestinian prisoners".The White House said Trump had also sent two envoys to Egypt -- his son-in-law Jared Kushner and Middle East negotiator Steve Witkoff."During communications with mediators, Hamas insisted that it is essential for Israel to halt military operations across all areas of the Gaza Strip, cease all air, reconnaissance, and drone activity, and withdraw from inside Gaza City," a Palestinian source close to Hamas said, adding the group would "also halt their military operations" in parallel.According to Trump's plan, in return for the hostages, Israel is expected to release 250 Palestinian prisoners with life sentences and more than 1,700 detainees from the Gaza Strip who were arrested during the war.Trump has warned he will "not tolerate delay" from Hamas, urging the group to move quickly towards a deal "or else all bets will be off".Israel, meanwhile, has continued to carry out strikes.AFPTV footage showed thick smoke billowing over the skyline of the coastal territory Sunday.Gaza's civil defence agency said Israeli attacks killed at least 20 people across the territory, 13 of them in Gaza City.The US plan, endorsed by Netanyahu, calls for a halt to hostilities, the release of hostages within 72 hours, a gradual Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and Hamas's disarmament -- something the group has frequently described as a red line in the past.Under the proposal, administration of the territory would be taken up by a technocratic body overseen by a post-war transitional authority headed by Trump himself.Israel's offensive in the Gaza Strip has killed at least 67,139 Palestinians, according to health ministry figures.

Hamas on Sunday called for a swift start to a hostage-prisoner exchange with Israel, as negotiators from the two warring sides were set to meet in Egypt for crucial talks aimed at ending the nearly two-year war in Gaza.Foreign ministers of several countries, including Egypt, said the talks were a "real opportunity" to achieve a comprehensive and sustainable ceasefire."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 told AFP on condition of anonymity.The diplomatic push follows the Palestinian group's positive response to US President Donald Trump's roadmap for an end to the fighting and the release of captives in Gaza in exchange for Palestinians held in Israeli jails.Negotiators are due to hold talks in the Egyptian resort town of Sharm El-Sheikh, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressing hope that hostages held in Gaza could be released within days.Netanyahu said 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".An Israeli government spokesperson said the country's delegation would be leaving Sunday evening, with talks slated to start Monday -- the eve of the second anniversary of the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack that sparked the war.The White House said Trump had also sent two envoys to Egypt -- his son-in-law Jared Kushner and Middle East negotiator Steve Witkoff."During communications with mediators, Hamas insisted that it is essential for Israel to halt military operations across all areas of the Gaza Strip, cease all air, reconnaissance, and drone activity, and withdraw from inside Gaza City," a Palestinian source close to Hamas said, adding the group would "also halt their military operations" in parallel.According to Trump's plan, in return for the hostages, Israel is expected to release 250 Palestinian prisoners with life sentences and more than 1,700 detainees from the Gaza Strip who were arrested after the war began.But Trump has warned he will "not tolerate delay" from Hamas, urging the group to move quickly towards a deal "or else all bets will be off".Trump said on Truth Social that Israel had agreed to an initial line of withdrawal in Gaza and that this had been shared with Hamas."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, alongside a map of the proposed line.Despite Trump calling on Israel to halt its bombings, Israel has continued to carry out strikes on Gaza.AFPTV footage showed thick smoke billowing over the skyline over the coastal territory on Sunday.Gaza's civil defence agency, a rescue force operating under Hamas authority, said Israeli strikes killed at least five people in Gaza City in the morning, after several attacks through the night. Nearly 60 people were killed across the territory the day before, it said.The United Nations had estimated that around one million people were living in the area before the start of the assault."There has been a noticeable decrease in the number of air strikes (since last night). The tanks and military vehicles have slightly pulled back, but I believe this is a tactical move, not a withdrawal," said Muin Abu Rajab, 40, a resident of Al-Rimal neighbourhood in Gaza City.Hamas has insisted it should have a say in the territory's future, though Trump's roadmap stipulates that it and other factions "not have any role in the governance of Gaza".The plan also calls for a halt to hostilities, the release of hostages within 72 hours, a gradual Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and Hamas's disarmament -- something the group has frequently described as a red line in the past.Under the proposal, administration of the territory would be taken up by a technocratic body overseen by a post-war transitional authority headed by Trump himself."We hope Trump will pressure Netanyahu and force him to stop the war," said Ahmad Barbakh, a resident of Al-Mawasi area."We want the prisoner exchange deal to be completed quickly so that Israel has no excuse to continue the war."

His Excellency Minister of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Dr. Mohammed bin Abdulaziz bin Saleh Al Khulaifi met Sunday with the Special Envoy of the UN Secretary-General for the Great Lakes Region Huang Xia, who is currently visiting the country. The meeting discussed peace efforts in the Great Lakes Region, particularly the situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and efforts to promote dialogue and achieve peace in the region. During the meeting, the UN Special Envoy for the Great Lakes Region expressed his appreciation for the State of Qatar's role in supporting the United Nations' efforts to enhance security and stability in the Great Lakes Region, commending its ongoing contributions to promoting peace and development in the African continent.

Islamic Jihad move could facilitate release of hostagesIsrael strikes Gaza after Trump calls for end to bombardmentIsrael says Gaza City is still a dangerous combat zoneTrump plan and Hamas response lift spirits of PalestiniansRelative of released Israeli hostage calls for end to warPalestinian Islamic Jihad, an ally of Hamas that also holds hostages, on Saturday endorsed the group's response to a US plan to end the war in Gaza - a move that could help pave the way for the release of Israelis still held by both parties.Hamas on Friday accepted certain key parts of US President Donald Trump's plan, including ending the war, Israel's withdrawal and the release of Israeli hostages and Palestinian captives.Hamas's response triggered a chorus of optimistic statements by world leaders urging an immediate cessation of the deadliest conflict involving Israel since its creation in 1948, and demanding freedom for the Israelis still held in the enclave.A further possible boost to hopes for peace came with a supportive statement from Iran-backed Islamic Jihad, which is smaller than Hamas but seen as more hardline."Hamas' (reaction) to Trump's plan represents the position of the Palestinian resistance factions, and the Islamic Jihad participated responsibly in the consultations that led to this decision," the group said.Asked when talks on implementing the US plan would begin, a Hamas official told Reuters "things have yet to be arranged".Hamas' stance, and its backing by Islamic Jihad, may raise the spirit of Gazans, who had watched one ceasefire effort after another fail as Israeli strikes hit the strip over the past two years, creating a humanitarian crisis and displacing millions."May the suffering lift off the people of Gaza, the people of Gaza are among the oppressed of the earth, and any ray of hope for the oppressed people is a victory," said Sharif al-Fakhouri, resident of the occupied West Bank city of Hebron.Amid the optimism several issues remain unresolved, such as whether Hamas will agree to disarm, one of Israel's top demands.Some Palestinians expressed fear that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who heads Israel's most far-right government ever, will ultimately withdraw from any plan to end the war."What is important is that Netanyahu does not sabotage this, because now that Hamas agreed, Netanyahu will disagree, as he usually does," said Jerusalem resident Jamal Shihada.Israeli airstrikes persisted early on Saturday but they were less intense, after U.S. President Donald Trump had called for a halt to the bombing saying Hamas was ready for peace.In its daily update, the Gaza health ministry said Israeli fire killed at least 66 Palestinians across the enclave in the past 24 hours.Netanyahu's office said Israel was preparing for "immediate implementation" of the first stage of Trump's Gaza plan for the release of Israeli hostages following Hamas' response.Shortly after, Israeli media reported that the country's political echelon had instructed the military to reduce offensive activity in Gaza.Trump's plan and Hamas' reaction won support around the world, from Australia to India to Canada and European capitals."An end to this terrible war is within reach," said Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof.Hamas responded to Trump's 20-point plan after the U.S. president gave the group until Sunday to accept or face grave consequences.Trump, who has cast himself as the only person capable of achieving peace in Gaza, has invested significant political capital in efforts to end the war that has left US ally Israel increasingly isolated on the world stage.Trump said on Friday he believed Hamas had shown it was "ready for a lasting PEACE" and he put the onus on Netanyahu's government. "Israel must immediately stop the bombing of Gaza, so that we can get the Hostages out safely and quickly!" Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.Domestically, the prime minister is caught between growing pressure to end the war - from hostage families and a war-weary public - and demands from hardline members of his coalition who insist there must be no let-up in Israel's campaign in Gaza."It's time to end this horrific war and bring every single hostage back home. We are for rebuilding and the rehabilitation," said Efrat Machikawa, an active member of Israel's hostage families forum and the niece of Gadi Moses, a hostage who was released in January."We're fed up with the war. We don't want any revenge. We want to concentrate on life."

International reactions have been pouring in following Hamas's positive response on Friday to US President Donald Trump's plan to free Israeli hostages in Gaza and end the nearly two-year conflict.Here are some of the main reactions from around the world:United States"Based on the Statement just issued by Hamas, I believe they are ready for a lasting PEACE. Israel must immediately stop the bombing of Gaza, so that we can get the Hostages out safely and quickly!" Trump posted on Truth Social.The US leader also said in a brief video message that "everybody will be treated fairly" in talks on the future of Gaza.Israel"In light of Hamas's response, Israel is preparing for the immediate implementation of the first stage of the Trump plan for the release of all the hostages," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said."We will continue to work in full cooperation with the President and his team to end the war in accordance with the principles set out by Israel, which align with President Trump's vision," the statement added.Mediating countriesQatar "welcomes the announcement by Hamas of its agreement to President Trump's plan", said foreign ministry spokesman HE Dr. Majed al-Ansari, also expressing support for Trump's call for an immediate ceasefire.Egypt said it hoped "this positive development will lead all parties to rise to the level of responsibility by committing to implementing President Trump's plan on the ground and end the war".United NationsUN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres "welcomes" Hamas's response and "urges all parties to seize the opportunity to bring the tragic conflict in Gaza to an end", spokesman Stephane Dujarric said.UN rights chief Volker Turk said he hoped the plan would "pave the way for a permanent cessation of hostilities... in line with international human rights and humanitarian laws".It was, he said, a "vital opportunity for all parties and influential states to pursue in good faith and stop -- once and for all -- the carnage and the suffering in Gaza, to flood the strip with humanitarian aid, and to ensure the release of the hostages and numerous detained Palestinians".Europe"The release of all hostages and a ceasefire in Gaza are within reach!" French President Emmanuel Macron wrote on X, joining a chorus of hopeful European reactions to Hamas's response.German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said the plan represented "the best chance for peace" in the conflict and that Germany "fully supports" Trump's "call upon both sides".Britain's Keir Starmer called Hamas's acceptance "a significant step forwards" and urged all sides "to implement the agreement without delay".TurkeyTurkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he believed Hamas was showing "as it has done many times before, that it is ready for peace".The foreign ministry said the Palestinian group's response "provides an opportunity for the immediate establishment of a ceasefire in Gaza".JordanJordan's foreign ministry welcomed Hamas's response.It "stressed the need to immediately halt the Israeli aggression on Gaza, open the border crossings to allow the immediate, adequate and sustainable delivery of humanitarian aid to all parts of the strip, and launch a genuine effort to achieve a just peace".

Adviser to the Prime Minister and Official Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dr Majed bin Mohammed al-Ansari said that Qatar welcomes the announcement by the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) of its acceptance of US President Donald Trump's proposal to end the war in Gaza and its willingness to release all hostages, as part of the exchange formula contained in the proposal.In a post on X, Dr al-Ansari also affirmed Qatar's support for the US president's call for an immediate ceasefire to facilitate the safe and rapid release of the hostages, achieving rapid results that stop the bloodshed of our Palestinian brothers in the Gaza Strip.He added that Qatar confirms that it has begun working with its mediation partners in Egypt, in co-ordination with the US, to complete discussions on the plan to ensure an end to the war.

The Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) announced Friday that it has submitted its response to US President Donald Trump's plan to cease the war in the Gaza Strip to the mediators.In a statement, the movement said it had held extensive consultations to reach a "responsible position" on the US president's plan, out of its desire to halt the ongoing Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip since October 7, 2023.It expressed its appreciation for Arab, Islamic, and international efforts, as well as the efforts of US President Donald Trump, calling for an end to the war on the Gaza Strip, an exchange of prisoners, the immediate entry of aid, and the rejection of the occupation of the Strip and the displacement of the Palestinian people from it.It added: "We announce our agreement to the release of all prisoners, alive and dead, in accordance with the exchange formula included in President Trump's proposal and with the provision of field conditions for the exchange process," stressing its readiness to immediately enter negotiations through the mediators to discuss the details.The movement also renewed its agreement to hand over the administration of the Gaza Strip to a Palestinian body of independent technocrats, based on Palestinian national consensus and Arab and Islamic support.The statement continued saying that the other issues included in President Trump's proposal related to the future of the Gaza Strip and the inherent rights of the Palestinian people are linked to a comprehensive national position and based on relevant international laws and resolutions. These matters will be discussed within a comprehensive Palestinian national framework, of which Hamas will be a member and to which it will contribute responsibly, the statement said.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen welcomed on Tuesday US President Donald Trump's peace proposal, which aims to end the nearly two-year-old war in Gaza. "I welcome US President Donald Trump's commitment to end the war in Gaza and encourage all parties to now seize this opportunity. The EU stands ready to contribute," she said on X platform. "Hostilities should end with provision of immediate humanitarian relief to the population in Gaza and with all hostages released immediately," she added. The US President has announced a plan to end the war in the Gaza Strip through a comprehensive agreement that guarantees the unimpeded delivery of adequate humanitarian aid to the Strip, prevents the displacement of Palestinians, releases hostages, establishes a security mechanism that guarantees the security of all parties, in addition to a full Israeli withdrawal, the reconstruction of Gaza, and the establishment of a path to a just peace based on the two-state solution. This would see Gaza fully reunited with the West Bank in a Palestinian state in accordance with international law, as a key to achieving regional stability and security.

The State of Qatar affirmed that the Israeli occupation is seeking to undermine peace prospects and de-escalation efforts in the region by implementing settlement, colonial, and aggressive plans and policies that pose a threat to peace and security. This came in a statement by the State of Qatar, delivered by Her Excellency Permanent Representative of the State of Qatar in Geneva Dr. Hind Abdulrahman Al Muftah during her participation in the general debate on the situation of human rights in Palestine and other occupied Arab territories, Item 7, within the framework of the 60th session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva. Her Excellency affirmed the State of Qatar's welcome of the recent announcement by a number of countries of their official recognition of the sisterly State of Palestine, noting that these recognitions constitute a victory for the legitimate rights of the brotherly Palestinian people and are consistent with international legitimacy, relevant Security Council resolutions, and the New York Declaration on the implementation of the two-state solution and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital. Her Excellency stressed the need for recognition of the Palestinian state not to remain ink on paper, calling on the international community to assume its legal and moral responsibilities and take effective measures to pressure Israel, the occupying power, to stop the war and crimes of genocide in the Gaza Strip, the forced displacement and starvation of its population, and to allow the entry of sufficient humanitarian aid, as well as to end its occupation of all Palestinian and Arab territories, and to hold accountable all those responsible for the crimes and grave violations committed against the Palestinian people.

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif stressed that implementing the two-state solution is essential to ensuring lasting peace in the Middle East, welcoming US President Donald Trump's proposal to end the war in the Gaza Strip. Sharif said via X platform that "durable peace between the Palestinian people and Israel would be essential in bringing political stability and economic growth to the region." "It is also my firm belief that President Trump is fully prepared to assist in whatever way necessary to make this extremely important and urgent understanding become a reality," he added. The Pakistani Prime Minister praised the US President's efforts and the vital role played by his Special Envoy, Steve Witkoff, in ending the war in Gaza.

Eight Arab and Muslim nations welcomed Trump's 'sincere efforts' to end the Gaza war in a joint statement Monday. "The foreign ministers of Qatar, Jordan, the UAE, Indonesia, Pakistan, Turkiye, Saudi Arabia and Egypt welcome President Trump's leadership and his sincere efforts to end the war in Gaza, and assert their confidence in his ability to find a path to peace. They emphasize the importance of the partnership with the US in securing peace in the region. Along these lines, the ministers welcome the announcement by President Trump regarding his proposal to end the war, rebuild Gaza, prevent the displacement of the Palestinian people and advance a comprehensive peace, as well as his announcement that he will not allow the annexation of the West Bank. The ministers affirm their readiness to engage positively and constructively with the US and the parties toward finalizing the agreement and ensuring its implementation, in a manner that ensures peace, security, and stability for the peoples of the region. They reaffirm their joint commitment to work with the US to end the war in Gaza through a comprehensive deal that ensures unrestricted delivery of sufficient humanitarian aid to Gaza, no displacement of the Palestinians, the release of hostages, a security mechanism that guarantees the security of all sides, full Israeli withdrawal, rebuilds Gaza and creates a path for a just peace on the basis of the two state solution, under which Gaza is fully integrated with the West Bank in a Palestinian state in accordance with international law as key to achieving regional stability and security. "