Gaza peace talks enter third day in Egypt as key US and regional mediators join

Israel and Hamas entered a third day of peace talks in Egypt on Wednesday over the implementation of United States President Donald Trump’s plan to end the war in Gaza. 

More senior officials from the US, Israel and mediating countries were expected to join, a sign that negotiators aim to tackle the toughest issues of the American proposal. 

New members joining the negotiating table include US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, as well as Qatar’s prime minister and top diplomat Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani and Turkey’s intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin.

A senior Hamas official, Taher al-Nounou, said his group and Israel have exchanged lists of prisoners and hostages who would be released if a deal is reached. 

All sides have expressed optimism for a deal to end the two-year war, but key practical parts of the peace plan have still not been clearly laid out.

“A major obstacle in the current negotiations is the implementation of the agreements. We must find practical solutions to ensure the swift execution of these agreements,” said Qatar’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Majed al-Ansari in a news conference.

Mediators will have to overcome disagreements on crucial elements, including the disarmament of Hamas, the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza and the territory’s post-war governance.  

“The issue that cannot be disputed is that the Palestinian question is primarily the affairs of the Palestinian people and their future must be held in their own hands,” al-Ansari said.

Israel’s assaults on the Gaza Strip have killed over 67,000 Palestinians in the past two years, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.