Negotiators from Israel and the Palestinian Hamas group are meeting in Egypt today for talks on a swap of Israeli hostages in Gaza for Palestinian prisoners in Israel. Egypt is hosting the talks, which are expected to be a key step towards a possible end to the nearly two-year conflict in the Gaza Strip.
US President Donald Trump welcomed Hamas’s response to his proposal for a ceasefire and prisoner swap, stressing that he believes the Palestinian group is “ready for lasting peace”.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he hoped the prisoners in Gaza would be released in the coming days, during the Sukkot holiday, but warned that the Israel Defense Forces were still carrying out military operations in the Gaza Strip. At least 70 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli strikes in the past 24 hours.
The talks in Egypt today are expected to review maps and withdrawal routes, and define a timeframe for the prisoner swap. A Hamas delegation will present lists of Palestinian prisoners that Israel should release in exchange for Israeli hostages.
Gaza residents, facing months of conflict and a humanitarian crisis, are hoping for an end to the violence. Displaced Palestinians say they want security and stability so that life can gradually return to normal and children can go to school.
An international flotilla of 11 ships attempting to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza has reached international waters off Alexandria, while around 137 activists detained by Israel have arrived in Turkey after being deported.
According to the Israeli Ministry of Defense, military operations in Gaza have so far displaced around 900,000 Palestinians, compared to around one million people living in and around Gaza City before the offensive began in late August.
