Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt – October 8, 2025
Top American envoys and influential regional leaders have convened in Egypt for the third day of indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas, centered around President Donald Trump’s 20-point peace plan aimed at ending the war in Gaza.
President Trump’s son-in-law and former Middle East adviser Jared Kushner, alongside businessman Steve Witkoff, arrived in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh early Wednesday. They were joined by Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman Al Thani and Turkey’s intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin, signaling a pivotal moment in the mediation process.
Negotiations resumed at 11:00 local time (08:00 GMT), with expectations high for tangible progress. A senior Hamas official told the BBC that the group had demonstrated “necessary positivity” and submitted a list of Palestinian prisoners it seeks in exchange for the 48 hostages still held in Gaza—20 of whom are believed to be alive.
The list includes high-profile detainees such as Marwan Barghouti and Ahmad Saadat. Barghouti, a potential successor to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, is serving multiple life sentences for orchestrating deadly attacks. Saadat, leader of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, was convicted for his role in the 2001 assassination of an Israeli minister.
Israeli media reported “cautious optimism” among officials, with some crediting Trump’s success in involving Turkish negotiators as a key factor in Hamas’s willingness to engage.
President Trump echoed the hopeful tone, stating, “There’s a real chance that we could do something.” He emphasized the urgency of securing a hostage release and pledged that the US would “do everything possible” to ensure adherence to any agreement reached.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan confirmed that Trump had personally requested his help in persuading Hamas to accept the plan. Meanwhile, Israel’s Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, a close ally of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, was expected to join the talks later in the day.
Despite the optimism, a Palestinian official familiar with the negotiations warned of “deep gaps” in how both sides interpret Trump’s proposal. Disagreements persist over five core issues:
- Establishing a permanent ceasefire
- Hostage-prisoner exchange terms
- Withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza
- Humanitarian aid logistics
- Post-war governance of the territory
Hamas’s chief negotiator Khalil al-Hayya, recently targeted in an Israeli airstrike in Doha, told Egyptian media that the group is committed to “serious and responsible negotiations” but requires “real guarantees” from Trump and the international community to ensure the war does not resume.
UN Secretary General António Guterres described Trump’s plan as a “historic opportunity” and urged all parties to seize the moment to end the conflict.
The war, triggered by Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack that killed 1,200 Israelis and led to 251 hostages being taken, has since claimed over 67,000 lives in Gaza, including more than 20,000 children, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. The UN and other international bodies consider these figures credible, though Israel disputes them.
Additionally, 460 deaths have been attributed to malnutrition, with 182 occurring since a famine was confirmed in Gaza City in August by the UN-backed IPC. Prime Minister Netanyahu has denied reports of starvation, asserting that Israel is facilitating aid deliveries.
As the talks continue, the world watches closely, hoping that diplomacy can finally bring an end to one of the region’s most devastating conflicts.
