🔗 Share this article

Diplomatic delegations have arrived in Cairo before pivotal negotiations scheduled for Monday, projected to focus on the liberation of captives held by Hamas in Gaza and a comprehensive resolution to the protracted war, while Israeli defense actions persisted across the Palestinian enclave, causing 63 deaths within the previous 24 hours.

Key Emphasis of Upcoming Talks

The Egyptian foreign ministry stated that the upcoming negotiations would concentrate on the first step of Trump administration's suggested resolution plan, which centers on the release of the last 48 hostages held by Hamas in swap with Palestinian prisoners currently held in Israeli custody.

International Involvement

US envoy Steve Witkoff is expected to join the talks, according to local media sources, in addition to Israel's representatives and a Gazan group chaired by Khalil al-Hayya, the vice head of the organization's political bureau.

"Discussions in Egypt will be confined to a short period maximum," stated an Israeli government representative to the press.

Truce Prospects

The hostage release and detainee exchange would result in an immediate halt in combat in Gaza, according to Trump. Since Hamas's conditional approval of his framework to terminate the nearly two-year conflict in Gaza on Friday, the United States, Israeli government and the militant organization have all expressed confidence that a truce is imminent.

The US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, characterized the Cairo talks as "the closest we've approached getting all the hostages liberated" during a Sunday interview with ABC. He advised that negotiations could still falter over logistical complications, and that precise procedures for the captive liberation needed to be worked out.

Long-term Difficulties

Rubio noted substantial long-term challenges in executing the agreement, particularly the formation of a administrative governing body to oversee Gaza replacing Hamas. He stressed that the present focus remained the hostages' release and securing Israeli soldiers withdrew to an mutually accepted position in Gaza.

Trump's Proposal Specifics

The proposed initiative would entail Hamas freeing all captives within 72 hours, relinquishing governmental control to a international authority chaired by the American leader, and surrendering its weapons. In exchange, the Israeli government would systematically pull out its forces from Gaza and return more than 1,000 Arab prisoners. The deal would furthermore trigger a surge of assistance to Gaza, where various areas are experiencing famine, along with rebuilding funds.

Withdrawal Specifics

On Saturday night, Trump published a chart of Gaza that delineated the primary pullback position for defense forces, ranging from 1.2 miles (2km) to 4 miles inside the area. He announced that if Hamas approved the retreat boundary, a ceasefire would begin immediately.

According to the terms of the plan, defense military are supposed to fully withdraw to a buffer zone at the edge of Gaza, but the prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has asserted that irrespective of any deal, forces would stay in the bulk of Gaza.

Global Responses

Positive outlook about a possible truce has increased internationally, with western and Arab officials urging the organization and Israel to conclude a deal. On Sunday, the European statesman, Friedrich Merz, called Netanyahu and demonstrated endorsement for the former president's proposal, characterizing it as "the best chance for resolution," based on an government readout.

Israeli authorities have also suggested they aim to announce an end to the hostilities in the following days.

A prominent organization official told news outlets the group was "highly motivated to reach an settlement to terminate the war and without delay commence the detainee swap process in accordance with the ground realities."

Ultimatums and Persistent Strikes

Trump threatened Hamas with "complete destruction" if it failed to reach a agreement on Gaza during a television interview. He additionally claimed that Netanyahu was onboard for ending the airstrikes of Gaza.

Despite Trump's appeal that the Israeli government cease its assault and notwithstanding directives for the defense forces to only perform "protective measures," it has persisted bombing the Palestinian territory. A minimum of eight people were killed in individual attacks on Gaza City, while four additional people were fatally shot while seeking relief supplies in the southern region of the territory.

"Although specific airstrikes have in fact ceased inside of the Gaza Strip, there's no ceasefire in place at this juncture," remarked the government spokesperson.

Civilian Toll

At least 67,139 people have been fatally wounded and roughly 170,000 harmed by the Israeli armed offensive in Gaza, as reported by the Palestinian health authorities, which reported that roughly half of those were civilian non-combatants. Israel launched the campaign in response after an assault by Hamas-led combatants that killed roughly 1,200 people and involved 251 people being captured.

Global Conclusions

The United Nations investigative body, multiple civil liberties organizations and the world's leading association of specialized researchers have determined that Israel has committed genocide in Gaza. Israel rejects the accusation and states it has only responded in self-defence.