🔗 Share this article

News Agency

Mediated discussions focused on achieving a final agreement on a American ceasefire proposal to stop the conflict in Gaza have commenced in the mediation venue of Sharm El-Sheikh.

Palestinian and Egyptian officials have stated that the discussions are concentrating on "creating the field conditions" for a potential swap that would involve the freeing of all detained individuals in return for a number of Palestinian prisoners.

The group stated it agrees to the peace plan proposals partially, but has failed to address several essential conditions - particularly its weapons surrender and governance position in Gaza.

The government official said on the weekend that he hoped to announce the liberation of detained individuals "soon"

Background Context

The talks, which will feature Middle Eastern officials conducting mediation with teams from both the two sides individually, occur on the approach of the second anniversary of the military operation on border communities on October 7th, in which approximately 1,200 people were lost their lives and 251 others were captured.

The Israeli military began military actions in Gaza in retaliation. From that point, approximately 67,160 have been killed by defense force actions in Gaza, based on data from the territory's medical administration.

Proposal Framework

The 20-point plan, which has been endorsed by US President Donald Trump and Israeli officials, proposes an prompt cessation to combat and the liberation of 48 captives, only 20 individuals are believed to be living, in compensation of multiple hundreds of detained Gazans.

The proposal specifies that once both sides agree to the proposal "humanitarian support will be immediately sent into the Palestinian territory"

It also states that Hamas would have no involvement in governing Gaza, and it leaves the door open an eventual Palestinian state.

Recent Developments

On Friday, the group answered to the proposal in a statement, in which the group consented "to free all Israeli prisoners, both alive and killed, in accordance with the swap arrangement specified by the American plan" - if the proper conditions for the swaps are satisfied.

It did not specifically mention or endorse Trump's 20-point plan but said it "reaffirms its commitment to hand over the governance of the Gaza Strip to a local administration of technocrats, based on regional unity and Arab and Islamic support"

The statement omitted reference of one of the essential conditions of the plan – that the organization consent to its military demobilization and to playing no further role in the governance of Gaza.

International Response

Gaza inhabitants described the organization's answer to the peace plan as unexpected, after days of indications that the organization was preparing to reject or at least significantly qualify its approval of the American initiative.

Alternatively, the militant group excluded its customary boundaries in the public announcement, a move many view as a sign of international influence.

European and Middle Eastern officials have welcomed the plan. The governing body, which governs parts of the disputed regions, has characterized the Trump administration actions as "sincere and determined"

The Persian nation - which has been one of Hamas's main sponsors for an extended period - has also currently expressed its support for the American initiative.

Ongoing Reality

Armed attacks continued in various locations of the Gaza Strip on the beginning of the week ahead of the discussions commencing.

Israeli forces is carrying out an military operation in the city, which it has declared is designed to achieving the liberation of the remaining hostages.

Mahmoud Basal, spokesman for the territory's Hamas-run civil defence, reported that "no aid trucks have been authorized access for Gaza City since the offensive began four weeks ago"

"There are still bodies we cannot retrieve from locations under military occupation" he stated.

Numerous individuals of Gaza City have been forced to flee after the Israeli military mandated relocations to a designated "humanitarian area" in the lower territory, but hundreds of thousands more are considered to have persisted.

The defense representative has warned that those who persist during the military operation would be "militants and their backers"

In the previous day, 21 Palestinians have been lost their lives in Gaza and a another 96 injured, the regional health administration said in its current assessment.

Global media representatives have been restricted by the government from accessing the conflict zone without supervision since the start of the war, making authenticating statements from both sides problematic.