Sharm El-Sheikh, Oct 7 (V7N) — Representatives from Israel, Hamas, and international mediators have convened in Egypt’s Red Sea resort city of Sharm El-Sheikh to discuss a potential ceasefire framework based on U.S. President Donald Trump’s 20-point Gaza peace plan. The proposal’s initial phase calls for the release of all hostages held by Hamas in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners detained in Israel.
 
Uncertainty remains over the later stages of the plan, which include the disarmament of Hamas and the establishment of a new governing structure for Gaza. According to Egyptian officials, U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner are leading Washington’s delegation. Hamas’s representatives are led by senior political bureau member Khalil al-Hayya, while Israel’s delegation is headed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s close ally, Ron Dermer.
 
Netanyahu told reporters that the first stage of negotiations should conclude “within a few days,” while Trump has demanded Hamas’s “complete withdrawal from Gaza.” Hamas officials have cautioned that retrieving hostages’ remains from the ruins could take time. Israeli intelligence estimates that Hamas still holds 48 hostages, including 20 believed to be alive. In exchange, Israel plans to release 1,700 Palestinian detainees.
 
Hamas announced last Friday that it had accepted Trump’s proposal but emphasized that further discussions are necessary to address Gaza’s future security and Israeli troop withdrawal. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated on Sunday that Washington expects the plan to move forward without delay. “We want this to happen very quickly,” he said. President Trump echoed the same sentiment on Truth Social, urging “immediate implementation.”
 
Meanwhile, Iran’s Foreign Ministry has expressed conditional support for Trump’s initiative, stating that Tehran “backs any effort to end bloodshed in Gaza,” while warning of the plan’s “dangerous implications.” The ministry added that “the final say belongs to the Palestinian people.”
 
In a related development, Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu by phone to discuss the Gaza situation and Trump’s ceasefire plan. The Kremlin confirmed that Putin reaffirmed Russia’s long-standing support for a two-state solution and an independent Palestinian state under international law.
 
As the conflict enters its third year, Gaza remains devastated. A recent UNRWA report revealed that nearly 80% of the enclave’s infrastructure has been destroyed, with 90% of residents lacking access to clean water. The report estimates that over 67,160 people have been killed and 169,679 injured since the war began on October 7, 2023.
 
In the past 48 hours alone, Israel launched 131 air raids across Gaza, killing at least 94 people, including 10 on Monday — one of them a civilian seeking humanitarian aid. Despite mounting global pressure, the violence persists, leaving Gaza’s cities reduced to rubble and diplomatic efforts struggling to achieve lasting peace.
 
END/WD/AJ/