Two senior U.S. figures — Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and former White House adviser Jared Kushner — are joining diplomatic efforts in Egypt this week as indirect negotiations with Israel and Hamas enter a critical phase. Their arrival coincides with the second anniversary of the October 7 attacks, and comes after a day of stalled indirect talks yielded no breakthrough.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, speaking to his citizens, emphasized that Israel remains in a period of fateful decisions. He reaffirmed Israel’s war aims: securing the release of captives, dismantling the Hamas regime, and ensuring Gaza no longer poses a threat. He remains silent, however, about the current status of the negotiations.
According to senior Palestinian sources, Tuesday’s sessions ended without progress, primarily because both sides disputed Israel’s proposed withdrawal maps from Gaza and Hamas insisted on iron-clad guarantees preventing renewed conflict after any interim deal. Critics describe the talks as “tough,” with mediators scrambling to bridge deep divides.
The U.S. delegation is expected to depart on Tuesday night, arriving in Egypt ahead of Wednesday’s scheduled sessions. Qatar’s prime minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman Al Thani — long viewed as a crucial mediator — will join the talks to support a truce and hostage release framework. The head of Turkish intelligence is also slated to attend.
The U.S. and other mediators have centered their discussions on five core topics:
- A permanent ceasefire
- A hostage-for-prisoner exchange
- The withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza
- Humanitarian aid flow and logistics
- Post‑war governance structures for Gaza
Hamas chief negotiator Khalil al‑Hayya, who was recently targeted in an Israeli airstrike, described the group as ready for “serious and responsible negotiations,” but added that they require “real guarantees” that war will not resume. Senior Hamas official Fawzi Barhoum reiterated that negotiators are working to remove barriers to a deal aligned with Palestinian aspirations.
In remarks marking the anniversary, Trump called the possibility of broader Middle East peace “very close.” In turn, U.N. Secretary‑General António Guterres urged all parties to rally behind the Trump‑brokered 20‑point peace proposal, calling it a “historic opportunity.”
Public sentiment in Israel tilts toward ending the war if it secures the return of hostages — recent polls indicate nearly 70% support that tradeoff. Meanwhile, Gaza continues to suffer cataclysmic conditions: over 67,000 deaths have been recorded in Israeli operations, including thousands of children, and starvation is spreading across the territory.
