Trump’s Envoys, Regional Mediators Arrive Egypt For Gaza Peace Talks

President Donald Trump’s envoys and key regional mediators have joined renewed talks in Egypt aimed at securing a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, as momentum builds around Trump’s peace plan to end the war in Gaza.

Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, and his son-in-law and former senior adviser, Jared Kushner, arrived in the Red Sea resort city of Sharm el-Sheikh early Wednesday for the negotiations.

They were joined by Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman Al Thani and Turkey’s intelligence chief, Ibrahim Kalin, both central figures to the mediation efforts.

According to officials familiar with the discussions, the expanded participation of U.S. and regional representatives marks the strongest push yet to finalize an agreement under Trump’s 20-point Gaza peace plan.

The plan calls for an immediate ceasefire, a hostage-prisoner exchange, and a framework for post-war reconstruction and governance.

“Sheikh Mohammed’s attendance is to help move the ceasefire and hostage release agreement forward,” a Qatari diplomat told BBC.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan also confirmed that Trump had personally asked him to help convince Hamas to accept the proposal.

Israel’s Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, one of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s closest advisers, is expected to join the negotiations later in the day.

Hamas officials said the group had submitted a list of Palestinian prisoners it wants freed in exchange for the remaining 48 hostages in Gaza, around 20 of whom are believed to be alive.

The list includes prominent prisoners such as Marwan Barghouti and Ahmad Saadat.

“We have shown the necessary positivity and responsibility to achieve the required progress,” a senior Hamas representative told the BBC, while cautioning that “differences remain.”

Israeli officials, quoted in local media, described the atmosphere as one of “cautious optimism,” crediting Trump’s success in bringing Turkey into the process as a significant factor in Hamas’s willingness to engage.

Meanwhile, Palestinian officials acknowledged “deep gaps” remain over core issues, including the permanence of a ceasefire, Israel’s withdrawal timeline, humanitarian access, and who would govern Gaza after the war.

Hamas negotiator Khalil al-Hayya told Egypt’s Al Qahera News TV that the group was ready for “serious and responsible negotiations,” but insisted it needed “real guarantees” from Trump and the international community that Israel would not resume hostilities.

At the White House, Trump said the chances of a peace breakthrough were “really good,” promising that the U.S. would “do everything possible to make sure everyone adheres to the deal.”

“I think there’s a real possibility of achieving peace in the Middle East — something even beyond Gaza,” he said.

UN Secretary General António Guterres described Trump’s initiative as a “historic opportunity” to end the war, urging both sides to seize the moment.

The conflict, now in its second year, began after the Hamas-led attack on 7 October 2023 that killed about 1,200 people and resulted in 251 hostages being taken.

Israel’s military response has left over 67,000 people dead in Gaza, according to figures from the territory’s health ministry, which are considered credible by the UN though disputed by Israel.

Marking the second anniversary of the attack, Netanyahu reaffirmed Israel’s war goals, which is “to return all hostages, destroy the Hamas regime, and ensure Gaza no longer poses a threat to Israel.”