CAIRO — U.S. President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner and special envoy Steve Witkoff are set to join Gaza ceasefire negotiations in Egypt on Wednesday, as international mediators intensify efforts to finalize a deal between Israel and Hamas.
Their arrival follows a second day of indirect negotiations that ended without significant progress, according to a senior Palestinian official speaking to the BBC. Disagreements remain over Israeli withdrawal maps, security guarantees, and the sequence of hostage releases.
Trump, speaking on the second anniversary of the 7 October 2023 Hamas attacks on Israel, struck an optimistic tone, stating there is “a possibility that we could have peace in the Middle East.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, while not commenting directly on the talks, declared that Israel remains in “fateful days of decision” and reiterated that the war aims remain unchanged: the return of hostages, the elimination of Hamas, and ensuring Gaza poses no further threat.
Qatar’s Prime Minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman Al Thani, a key mediator, is also expected to attend, alongside Turkey’s intelligence chief, aiming to “push forward the Gaza ceasefire plan and hostage release agreement,” according to Reuters.
Five Core Issues Dominate Negotiations
A senior Palestinian official said negotiators are focused on five major concerns:
- A permanent ceasefire
- A hostage-prisoner exchange
- The withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza
- Humanitarian aid access
- Post-war governance of the territory
The talks remain tense. Hamas is demanding ironclad guarantees from Trump and the international community that Israel will not resume fighting after a phased agreement is reached. Hamas negotiator Khalil al-Hayya said the group is ready for a deal but requires “real guarantees.”
Meanwhile, Hamas official Fawzi Barhoum said the group is working to eliminate “all obstacles to an agreement that meets the aspirations of our people.”
Trump assured reporters that the U.S. would do “everything possible to make sure everybody adheres to the deal.” He added that the peace prospects extended “beyond the Gaza situation” and renewed his call for the immediate release of hostages.
Guterres, International Community Back Proposal
UN Secretary-General António Guterres, in a statement marking the October 7 anniversary, called Trump’s peace plan a “historic opportunity” to end the conflict, urging all sides to agree.
Public sentiment in Israel is also shifting, with polls showing around 70% of Israelis now support ending the war in exchange for hostages.
Humanitarian Crisis Deepens in Gaza
The talks take place against a worsening humanitarian crisis. Since Israel launched its military campaign following Hamas’ attack in 2023, at least 67,173 Palestinians — including 20,179 children — have been killed, according to Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry. While Israel disputes these figures, the UN and aid agencies consider them broadly credible.
In addition, malnutrition-linked deaths have risen to 460, with famine officially confirmed in parts of Gaza in August, according to the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC).
The UN Commission of Inquiry recently accused Israel of committing genocide — a claim rejected by Israel’s foreign ministry as “distorted and false.”
As diplomatic efforts intensify in Cairo, pressure continues to mount on all parties to reach an agreement that could finally end one of the deadliest and most devastating conflicts in recent Middle East history.