**Israeli and Hamas Officials Begin Indirect Talks on U.S.-Drafted Gaza Peace Plan**
*CAIRO (AP)* — Israeli and Hamas officials launched indirect talks Monday at an Egyptian resort focusing on a U.S.-drafted peace plan aimed at ending the devastating war in Gaza on the eve of its second anniversary.
The negotiations, which lasted for several hours, were marked by many unresolved questions about the plan unveiled last week by U.S. President Donald Trump. Key issues include the disarmament of Hamas—a central Israeli demand—and the future governance of Gaza. Trump has suggested that a peace agreement on Gaza could serve as a foundation to restart a broader Middle East peace process with the potential to reshape the entire region.
Despite Trump’s call for a halt to Israeli bombings, Israeli forces continued airstrikes on Gaza, killing at least 19 people in the past 24 hours, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.
An Egyptian official familiar with the talks, speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the discussions, said the parties concluded Monday’s negotiations at the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, with talks set to resume Tuesday afternoon.
The official noted that the parties have agreed on most of the first-phase terms, which include the release of hostages and establishing a ceasefire.
### Delegations and Mediators
The Israeli delegation is led by top negotiator Ron Dermer, while Khalil al-Hayyah heads the Hamas delegation. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office stated that foreign policy adviser Ophir Falk would also attend on behalf of Israel.
According to Egypt’s state-owned Al-Qahera News television, the talks began with a meeting between Arab mediators and the Hamas delegation, followed by a scheduled meeting with the Israeli delegation. U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff and President Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner were also reported by local media to be participants in the talks.
### Focus of Negotiations
Hamas indicated that negotiations will initially focus on a ceasefire’s first stage, including the partial withdrawal of Israeli forces and the release of hostages held by militants in Gaza in exchange for Palestinian prisoners detained by Israel.
This renewed attempt at peace follows Hamas’s acceptance of some elements of the U.S. plan, which Israel also supports. Under the proposal, Hamas would release the remaining 48 hostages—approximately 20 of whom are believed to be alive—within three days, relinquish power, and disarm.
The talks are expected to proceed swiftly; however, Netanyahu indicated they would last “a few days maximum,” though some Hamas officials cautioned that additional time might be needed to recover bodies of hostages believed buried under rubble.
### Regional Perspectives
Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi praised Trump’s efforts, emphasizing the importance of maintaining the U.S.-crafted “peace system” in the Middle East established since the 1970s. He described it as a “strategic framework for regional stability.”
El-Sisi made his remarks in a televised address commemorating the anniversary of the 1973 war with Israel, a conflict that contributed to the eventual return of the Sinai Peninsula—including Sharm el-Sheikh—to Egypt under a later peace treaty.
### Ongoing Violence and Casualties
The U.S. has insisted that Israeli bombardment of Gaza must cease for the hostages’ release to proceed. Israel asserts it is largely heeding Trump’s call, conducting mostly defensive strikes to protect its troops.
However, Gaza’s Health Ministry reported that 19 people, including two seeking aid, were killed by Israeli strikes and gunfire in the last 24 hours, with another 96 wounded. This brings the Palestinian death toll to 67,160 since the conflict began on October 7, 2023, with nearly 170,000 wounded.
The ministry does not distinguish between civilians and combatants but states that more than half of the deaths were women and children. As part of the Hamas-run government, its figures are considered by the U.N. and many independent experts to be the most reliable estimates of wartime casualties.
### Hostages and Family Appeals
Hamas-led militants abducted 251 people and killed around 1,200—mostly civilians—in the October 7 attack. Most Israeli hostages have been released through ceasefires or other deals.
Families of Israeli hostages have petitioned the Nobel Prize Committee to award President Trump the Nobel Peace Prize, commending his “unprecedented contributions to global peace.”
“At this very moment, President Trump’s comprehensive plan to release all remaining hostages and finally end this terrible war is on the table,” the families wrote. “For the first time in months, we are hopeful that our nightmare will finally be over.”
At a commemorative ceremony for those killed at Nir Oz Kibbutz on October 7, Daniel Lifshitz emphasized that the swift release of hostages should be the talks’ priority.
“Israel will pay painful concessions by releasing mass murderers and terrorists that killed many among our friends and families here in Israel, but we cherish life and in Trump we trust to make it happen,” said Lifshitz, grandson of slain hostage Oded and released hostage Yocheved Lifshitz.
### Life in Gaza Amid Conflict
In Gaza, families with babies born on the day the war started hoped to celebrate their children’s second birthdays with laughter rather than explosions. Many mothers have been displaced repeatedly and live in constant fear, compounded by the lack of access to healthcare.
Amal al-Taweel and her husband, Mostafa, had their son Ali after three years of trying to conceive. Now, they live in a tent without adequate sanitation, food, vaccinations, or toys.
“I was envisioning a different life for him … He couldn’t experience what a safe family life feels like,” al-Taweel said.
### Vatican’s Statement on the Anniversary
The Vatican marked the second anniversary of the October 7 attacks by condemning the “inhuman massacre” of innocent people in Israel and calling for the return of hostages.
However, the Vatican also criticized Israel’s destruction of Gaza as a disproportionate response and urged countries to halt supplying Israel with weapons to continue the conflict.
“Those who are attacked have a right to defend themselves, but even legitimate defense must respect the principle of proportionality,” said Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin on the anniversary’s eve.
“The perverse chain of hatred can only generate a spiral that leads nowhere good.”
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*Reporting by Raphael Ahren Lidman in Tel Aviv; Rana Shurafa in Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip; Nicole Winfield in Rome contributed to this report.*
For ongoing coverage of the Israel-Hamas conflict, visit [AP News](https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war).
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