Gaza peace talks enter second day on two-year anniversary of the
beginning of the war
[October 07, 2025]
By SAMY MAGDY and DAVID RISING
CAIRO (AP) — Peace talks between Israel and Hamas were resuming at an
Egyptian resort city on Tuesday, the two-year anniversary of the
militant group's surprise attack on Israel that triggered the bloody
conflict that has seen tens of thousands of Palestinians killed in Gaza.
The second day of indirect negotiations in the Red Sea resort of Sharm
el-Sheikh are focused on a plan proposed by U.S. President Donald Trump
last week that aims to bring about an end to the war in Gaza.
After several hours of talks Monday, an Egyptian official with knowledge
of the discussions said the parties agreed on most of the first-phase
terms, which include the release of hostages and establishing a
ceasefire. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the
private meetings.
The plan has received widespread international backing and Trump told
reporters on Monday that he thought there was a “really good chance” of
a “lasting deal.”
“This is beyond Gaza,” he said. "Gaza is a big deal, but this is really
peace in the Middle East."
Trump's peace plan
Many uncertainties remain, however, including the demand that Hamas
disarm and the future governance of Gaza.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has long said Hamas must
surrender and disarm, but Hamas has not yet commented on whether it
would be willing to.
The plan envisions Israel withdrawing its troops from Gaza after Hamas
disarms, and an international security force being put in place. The
territory would then be placed under international governance, with
Trump and former U.K. Prime Minister Tony Blair overseeing it.
The war began on Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas-led militants stormed into
southern Israel and killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and
abducted 251.
The devastating war that has ensued has upended global politics,
resulted in the deaths of 67,160 Palestinians nearly 170,000 wounded,
according to Gaza's Health Ministry, and has left the Gaza Strip in
ruins.
The ministry does not differentiate between civilians and combatants,
but says more than half of the deaths were women and children. The
ministry is part of the Hamas-run government, and the United Nations and
many independent experts consider its figures to be the most reliable
estimate of wartime casualties.
A growing number of experts, including those commissioned by a U.N.
body, have said Israel’s offensive in the Gaza Strip amounts to genocide
- an accusation Israel vehemently denies.
On Tuesday at the area attacked by Hamas two years ago, thousands of
Israelis gathered to pay tribute to their loved ones who were killed and
kidnapped. An explosion from Gaza echoed across the fields as they
reflected, following the launch of a rocket in northern Gaza. No damage
or injuries were reported.
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Khaled Nassar looks over the destruction at his apartment in the
Jabaliya refugee camp in Gaza City Feb. 9, 2025. Nassar's daughter,
Dalia, and his son, Mahmoud, were killed in separate airstrikes,
leaving both buried under their homes. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)
In Gaza City, meantime, residents said Israeli attacks continued
until the early hours of the morning on Tuesday, though there were
no immediate reports of casualties.
A promise of humanitarian relief
Ahead of the resumption of talks on Tuesday, U.N. Secretary-General
Antonio Guterres called for an end to the hostilities, which have
created "a humanitarian catastrophe on a scale that defied
comprehension.”
“The recent proposal by US President Donald J. Trump presents an
opportunity that must be seized to bring this tragic conflict to an
end,” Guterres said.
“A permanent ceasefire and a credible political process are
essential to prevent further bloodshed and pave the way for peace.
International law must be respected.”
Mediators from Qatar and Egypt were facilitating the talks, meeting
first on Monday with members of the delegation from Hamas, then
later with those from Israel.
Israel's delegation included Gal Hirsch, coordinator for the
hostages and the missing from Netanyahu's office, while Hamas
representatives included Khalil Al-Hayya, the group's top
negotiator.
White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said Monday that U.S.
envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner were on
hand to talk part in the talks and keep the president apprised.
She did not comment on a specific deadline for concluding the talks,
but said it is important “that we get this done quickly.”
Part of the plan is to surge humanitarian aid into Gaza, where more
than two million Palestinian are facing hunger and in some areas
famine.
U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said the organization was poised
and ready to act.
“The machinery is cranked up and ready to go as soon as we get the
green light,” Dujarric said. “There are many thousands of metric
tons in the pipeline of goods ready to enter” from Jordan, the
Israeli port of Ashdod and elsewhere, he added.
_____
Rising reported from Bangkok. Melanie Lidman in Reim, Israel, Sam
Mednick in Tel Aviv and Edith M. Lederer at the United Nations
contributed to this story.
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