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First round of Middle East talks between Hamas and intermediaries have concluded in the Arab Republic “in a constructive atmosphere”, as reported by Egypt’s government-affiliated news outlets in the morning on Tuesday.

Al-Qahera News, affiliated with government security, reported the talks will resume on the following day, additionally between Hamas and intermediaries in the resort town of the Egyptian city, where an Israeli delegation landed on the previous day.

The Israeli government and Hamas are expected to participate in indirect talks on the details of a plan by American leader Donald Trump for a hostage-prisoner exchange and long-term truce.

The US president’s twenty-point proposal outlines an instant halt in hostilities, an exchange of all captives held by the Palestinian faction for Palestinian prisoners held by the Israeli state, a staged pullout of Israeli forces from Gaza, the disarmament of the group and the introduction of a interim administration led by an international body.

One of the faction’s main conditions since the beginning of the war has been a full Israeli withdrawal from the territory in return for the release of the outstanding captives. And while the Palestinian militant group has indicated its readiness to give up administrative authority, it has repeatedly ruled out laying down arms.

In this first phase of talks, Egyptian and Qatari mediators are working with the two parties to establish foundational terms for the release of the still held 48 Israeli hostages held in the enclave in return for 1,700 detainees from Palestine held in prisons in Israel, and to decide the timeline of a short-term ceasefire.

This round of negotiations is anticipated to be challenging and complex, and could last for several days, as per reports. We will have more details on the negotiations soon.

These negotiations occur as Israelis across the nation get ready to mark the second anniversary of the October 7th Hamas-initiated attacks on Israel’s southern region, in which about twelve hundred individuals, primarily civilians, were slain and 251 taken hostage.

Doubt Remains Over Ceasefire Deal

Although there are optimistic indicators about this attempt to bring about an end to the conflict in Israel, there persists doubt over if a deal can be secured and, importantly, maintained.

The Palestinian faction has in part accepted the US president’s twenty-point proposal, which the Israeli government has accepted, but there are still significant sticking points that need resolving, including the post-war administration of the Gaza Strip, the extent of withdrawal of Israeli forces and Hamas’ disarmament.

Mediators have to decide which detainees from Palestine will be freed from prisons in Israel. The Palestinian delegation is likely to request political figures, such as the Palestinian leader a well-known detainee, who are highly regarded in the West Bank and the coastal enclave.

Rightwing members of the Israeli government have put pressure on to make sure such popular figures stay behind bars, Israeli media has reported.

Itamar Ben-Gvir, the ultra-conservative government official, warned to quit the government if Hamas still remained after the release of hostages, introducing another hurdle to already delicate negotiations.