Negotiations for a new hostage release and peace agreement in Gaza are set to begin Monday in the Egyptian coastal city of Sharm el-Sheikh, after Egypt agreed to host delegations from Israel and Hamas, officials have confirmed.
The Israeli delegation will be led by Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer, while U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff will also take part in the indirect talks, where the two sides will not meet face-to-face.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he hopes to announce the release of the remaining hostages in Gaza “within the coming days,” while Hamas has stated that it is prepared to return all captives — both alive and deceased.
In an official statement, Hamas also confirmed its readiness to participate in discussions related to the next phases of the peace plan proposed by U.S. President Donald Trump.
Rubio: “The second phase will be the most difficult”
Speaking to the U.S. network NBC, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that Hamas has agreed “in principle” to the terms concerning the post-war phase in Gaza, but warned that the second stage of the deal — disarmament and dismantling of Hamas — will be the hardest part.
“Very soon we’ll see whether Hamas is serious or not, depending on how these technical talks on logistics unfold,” Rubio said.
