Hamas Calls for Swift Prisoner Release as Cairo Talks Set to Begin
Diplomatic push follows positive response from US President Donald Trump's roadmap for prisoner exchange.
Hamas on Sunday called for a swift start to a hostage-prisoner exchange with Israel as negotiators from the two warring sides meet in Egypt for crucial talks aimed at ending the nearly two-year war.
Foreign ministers of several countries, including Egypt, said the talks were a "real opportunity" to achieve a comprehensive and sustainable ceasefire in Gaza.
A senior Hamas official stated that the group is keen to reach an agreement and immediately begin the prisoner exchange process according to field conditions.
The diplomatic push follows Hamas' positive response to US President Donald Trump's roadmap for the release of captives in exchange for Palestinians held in Israeli jails.
Negotiators are set to hold talks in the Egyptian resort of Sharm El-Sheikh, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressing hope that hostages held in Gaza could be released within days.
Netanyahu instructed negotiators to finalize technical details, while Egypt confirmed it would host a Hamas delegation for talks on the exchange's ground conditions and details.
The two parties are expected to hold indirect talks on Sunday and Monday, just before the second anniversary of the October 7 Hamas attack that sparked the war.
The White House has sent two envoys, Jared Kushner and Middle East negotiator Steve Witkoff, to Egypt.
According to Trump's plan, Israel is expected to release 250 Palestinian prisoners with life sentences and more than 1,700 detainees from Gaza who were arrested after October 7, 2023.
However, Trump warned that he would not tolerate delay from Hamas and urged the group to move quickly toward a deal or face consequences.
Despite ongoing bombings, Israel has continued its strikes on Gaza, causing casualties and forcing approximately 900,000 residents to evacuate to the south.
The United Nations estimated that around one million people were living in the area before the start of the assault.
Trump's roadmap stipulates that Hamas should not have any role in governing Gaza but calls for a halt to hostilities and a gradual Israeli withdrawal from the territory.
A post-war transitional authority headed by Trump would oversee a technocratic body administering Gaza.
The attack on October 7, 2023 resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, mostly civilians, while Israel's retaliatory strikes have killed at least 67,139 Palestinians since the conflict began.
Foreign ministers of several countries, including Egypt, said the talks were a "real opportunity" to achieve a comprehensive and sustainable ceasefire in Gaza.
A senior Hamas official stated that the group is keen to reach an agreement and immediately begin the prisoner exchange process according to field conditions.
The diplomatic push follows Hamas' positive response to US President Donald Trump's roadmap for the release of captives in exchange for Palestinians held in Israeli jails.
Negotiators are set to hold talks in the Egyptian resort of Sharm El-Sheikh, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressing hope that hostages held in Gaza could be released within days.
Netanyahu instructed negotiators to finalize technical details, while Egypt confirmed it would host a Hamas delegation for talks on the exchange's ground conditions and details.
The two parties are expected to hold indirect talks on Sunday and Monday, just before the second anniversary of the October 7 Hamas attack that sparked the war.
The White House has sent two envoys, Jared Kushner and Middle East negotiator Steve Witkoff, to Egypt.
According to Trump's plan, Israel is expected to release 250 Palestinian prisoners with life sentences and more than 1,700 detainees from Gaza who were arrested after October 7, 2023.
However, Trump warned that he would not tolerate delay from Hamas and urged the group to move quickly toward a deal or face consequences.
Despite ongoing bombings, Israel has continued its strikes on Gaza, causing casualties and forcing approximately 900,000 residents to evacuate to the south.
The United Nations estimated that around one million people were living in the area before the start of the assault.
Trump's roadmap stipulates that Hamas should not have any role in governing Gaza but calls for a halt to hostilities and a gradual Israeli withdrawal from the territory.
A post-war transitional authority headed by Trump would oversee a technocratic body administering Gaza.
The attack on October 7, 2023 resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, mostly civilians, while Israel's retaliatory strikes have killed at least 67,139 Palestinians since the conflict began.
