US special envoy Steve Witkoff and former President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner are set to participate in the Gaza peace negotiations taking place in Egypt on Wednesday. The talks will bring together representatives from Israel and Hamas in an effort to reach an agreement.
A senior Palestinian official familiar with the discussions told the BBC that Tuesday’s second round of indirect talks ended with no substantial progress.
Marking the second anniversary of the 7 October Hamas-led attacks on Israel, Trump expressed optimism, saying there is “a possibility that we could have peace in the Middle East.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu refrained from commenting directly on the status of the talks but described the moment as “fateful days of decision.” On X (formerly Twitter), he reaffirmed Israel’s war objectives: “The return of all the kidnapped, the elimination of the Hamas regime, and ensuring that Gaza will no longer pose a threat to Israel.”
According to a source close to the negotiations, Witkoff and Kushner were scheduled to leave the US on Tuesday evening and arrive in Egypt the next day.
Reuters reports that Qatar’s Prime Minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman Al Thani, a central mediator in the process, will also attend the meetings. His involvement is expected to help advance the Gaza ceasefire plan and a hostage release agreement, according to an official source.
The head of Turkish intelligence is also expected to participate in the discussions.
A Palestinian official told the BBC that Tuesday’s evening session began around 7:00 PM local time (16:00 GMT) following a morning round that yielded no concrete progress.
Disputes remain over Israel’s proposed withdrawal maps from Gaza and over Hamas’s demand for assurances that Israel will not resume military operations after the first stage of any deal.
“The talks are tough and have yet to yield a real breakthrough,” the official admitted, while noting that mediators are working intensively to bridge the divides between the sides.
On Tuesday, Trump told reporters, “We’re going to do everything possible to make sure everybody adheres to the deal.”
Earlier statements from Palestinian representatives indicated that the negotiations are focused on five main issues:
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Establishing a permanent ceasefire.
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An exchange of hostages held by Hamas for Palestinian prisoners and detainees.
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The withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.
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Ensuring consistent humanitarian aid deliveries.
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Defining the post-war governance structure of Gaza.
Khalil al-Hayya, Hamas’s chief negotiator who was targeted in Israeli airstrikes in Doha, Qatar last month, told Al Qahera News TV (an Egyptian state-affiliated channel) that the group had come “for serious and responsible negotiations.”
He added that Hamas is ready for an agreement but requires “real guarantees” from Trump and the international community to ensure the war’s end and prevent its resumption.
Another senior Hamas figure, Fawzi Barhoum, said the team is working to eliminate “all obstacles to an agreement that fulfills the aspirations of our people.”
Trump stated that hopes for peace extend “beyond the Gaza situation,” emphasizing, “We want the release of the hostages immediately.”
Marking the anniversary of the October 7 attacks—the deadliest day for Jews since the Holocaust—UN Secretary-General António Guterres urged all sides to embrace Trump’s peace initiative, calling it a “historic opportunity” to end the conflict.
Recent polls in Israel indicate that nearly 70% of Israelis would support ending the war in exchange for the return of hostages.
Israel’s military launched its Gaza campaign following the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, which killed around 1,200 people and resulted in 251 hostages being taken.
Since then, at least 67,173 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, including 20,179 children, according to the territory’s Hamas-run health ministry—whose figures are generally accepted by the UN and other international agencies.
The ministry also reports that 460 people have died from malnutrition-related causes since the conflict began, including 182 following the August famine declaration in Gaza City by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC).
The UN-backed IPC warned that over 500,000 Gazans are now enduring “catastrophic conditions” defined by “starvation, destitution, and death.”
Prime Minister Netanyahu has denied that starvation is occurring in Gaza.
Last month, a UN Commission of Inquiry concluded that Israel had committed genocide against Palestinians in Gaza—a claim that Israel’s foreign ministry rejected as “distorted and false.”
