Hamas representatives and Israeli delegates start indirect discussions in Egypt on American Palestinian peace plan.

Conflict zone News Agency
Israel has been carrying out combat operations in Palestinian territories for multiple weeks.

Mediated discussions focused on achieving a comprehensive deal on a Trump administration initiative to stop the conflict in Gaza have started in the Red Sea resort of Sharm El-Sheikh.

Middle Eastern and regional officials have reported that the meetings are centered around "establishing the groundwork" for a potential swap that would see the freeing of all detained individuals in compensation of a number of detained Palestinians.

The group stated it accepts the negotiation framework partially, but has not responded to several essential conditions - including its weapons surrender and future role in Gaza.

The Israeli leader said on Saturday that he anticipated declaring the liberation of hostages "in the coming days"

Historical Framework

The discussions, which will see Egyptian and Qatari officials holding shuttle meetings with delegations from both the two sides in isolation, occur on the approach of the two-year mark of the Hamas-led attack on border communities on October 7th, in which approximately 1,200 people were fatally wounded and 251 people were captured.

The defense forces initiated operations in Gaza in retaliation. From that point, 67,160 have been lost their lives by armed interventions in Gaza, based on data from the area's medical administration.

Initiative Components

The 20-point plan, which has been agreed upon by US President Donald Trump and Israeli officials, suggests an immediate end to fighting and the release of 48 captives, only 20 of whom are considered alive, in compensation of hundreds of detained Gazans.

The plan stipulates that once all involved accept the proposal "complete assistance will be promptly delivered into the conflict zone"

It also declares that the militant group would have no involvement in administering the territory, and it permits an future Palestinian sovereignty.

Current Situation

Recently, Hamas responded to the initiative in a declaration, in which the group approved "to liberate all Israeli prisoners, both alive and killed, following the swap arrangement contained in the American plan" - if the required situation for the swaps are met.

It failed to address or endorse Trump's 20-point plan but said it "restates its approval to hand over the management of the Palestinian territory to a Palestinian body of professionals, based on regional unity and international backing"

The announcement made no mention of one of the key demands of the initiative – that the militant group consent to its disarmament and to ceasing political participation in the administration of Gaza.

International Response

Many Palestinians described Hamas' response to the ceasefire proposal as surprising, after an extended period of signals that the organization was likely to refuse or at least substantially modify its acceptance of Trump's peace plan proposal.

Alternatively, Hamas excluded its customary boundaries in the public announcement, a decision many interpret as a indication of external pressure.

International and regional representatives have supported the plan. The governing body, which administers sections of the disputed regions, has characterized the US president's efforts as "sincere and determined"

The Persian nation - which has been one of Hamas's main sponsors for decades - has also recently indicated its endorsement of the US proposal.

Present Conditions

Armed attacks carried on in multiple areas of the Palestinian territory on Monday prior to the negotiations starting.

Defense personnel is conducting an offensive in the metropolitan region, which it has said is intended to obtaining the freeing of the outstanding captives.

An official representative, speaking for the region's Hamas-run civil defence, indicated that "humanitarian convoys have been authorized access for the urban center since the offensive began four weeks ago"

"There are still bodies we are unable to recover from areas under military occupation" he commented.

Countless residents of the metropolitan area have been compelled to evacuate after the armed services required departures to a designated "humanitarian area" in the south, but hundreds of thousands more are considered to have persisted.

The defense representative has cautioned that those who persist during the offensive would be "combatants and their sympathizers"

In the last 24 hours, 21 individuals have been lost their lives in Gaza and a further 96 injured, the regional health administration said in its current assessment.

Global media representatives have been restricted by Israeli authorities from accessing the conflict zone autonomously since the start of the war, making authenticating statements from the conflicting groups difficult.

Jon Hinton Jr.
Jon Hinton Jr.

A music therapist and writer passionate about the healing power of songs, sharing insights on emotional recovery through music.