On Wednesday, the prime minister of Qatar and representatives from Turkey will travel to Egypt to join Israeli and Hamas negotiators for the third day of negotiations to end the war in Gaza.
The Red Sea resort town of Sharm El-Sheikh is hosting indirect talks between Israel and Hamas, which are based on a 20-point plan that US President Donald Trump put forth last month.
“There’s a real chance that we could do something,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Tuesday, adding that US negotiators were also involved in the talks.
“I think there’s a possibility that we could have peace in the Middle East. It’s something even beyond the Gaza situation. We want a release of the hostages immediately.”
The United States will do “everything possible to make sure everyone adheres to the deal” if Israel and Hamas do reach a ceasefire agreement, according to Trump.
The discussions took place as Israel marked the second anniversary of the October 7 bombing by Hamas that started the conflict.
The bloodiest attack in Israel’s history was carried out by Hamas-led militants at the end of the Jewish holiday of Sukkot, which sparked a massive counteroffensive in Gaza.
It resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures.
Militants also took 251 people hostage into Gaza, of whom 47 remain captive, including 25 the Israeli military says are dead.
Global pressure to end the war has escalated, with much of Gaza flattened, a UN-declared famine unfolding and Israeli hostage families still longing for their loved ones’ return.
A UN probe last month accused Israel of genocide in Gaza while rights groups have accused Hamas of committing war crimes and crimes against humanity during the October 7 attack. Both sides reject the allegations.
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