Media: Day one of Israel-Hamas indirect talks in Egypt ends on "positive" note

The first day of resumed indirect talks between Israel and Hamas in Egypt concluded on a “positive” note, raising hopes for progress on implementing US President Donald Trump’s 20-point plan to end the conflict in Gaza, multiple sources told Al Jazeera.

Sources told Al Jazeera Arabic that the meeting in the Red Sea resort city of Sharm el-Sheikh was “positive” and that a roadmap was drawn up for the continuation of the talks.

The Hamas delegation highlighted that ongoing Israeli bombings in Gaza present a challenge to negotiations over the release of captives. The delegation included Hamas leaders Khalil al-Hayya and Zaher Jabarin, both of whom survived an Israeli assassination attempt in Doha last month that killed five people.

Day-one discussions reportedly focused on the proposed exchange of prisoners, a ceasefire, and humanitarian aid entering Gaza, according to Egypt’s state-linked Al-Qahera News.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump is pushing for an early exchange of Israeli captives and Palestinian prisoners to build “momentum” for implementing other aspects of his plan.

She added: “The technical teams are discussing that as we speak, to ensure that the environment is perfect to release those hostages,” and noted that teams were “going over the list of both the Israeli hostages and also the political prisoners who will be released.”

Speaking from the Oval Office on October 6, Trump said: “We have a really good chance of making a deal,” while noting that he still has his own “red lines.” He added, “But I think we’re doing very well. And I think Hamas has been agreeing to things that are very important.”

Al Jazeera’s Rosiland Jordan, reporting from Washington, DC, said Trump had not “given any details of how he thinks the discussions are going beyond his general positive assessment.”

She also noted: “The US president was also very complimentary of the joint Arab-Turkish support to keep Hamas at the bargaining table, he was complimentary of the Israeli people, and of course, he was complimentary about his own special envoy, Steve Witkoff, who was leading the US delegation in these negotiations.”

Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, a real estate developer, is reportedly part of the US delegation.

Al-Qahera confirmed the talks would resume on October 7, coinciding with the two-year anniversary of Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack on Israel that killed 1,139 people and saw around 200 taken captive. Since then, at least 67,160 Palestinians have been killed and 169,679 wounded in Gaza, according to UN inquiries and human rights groups.

Despite the negotiations, Israeli forces killed at least 10 Palestinians in Gaza on October 6, including three seeking humanitarian aid.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres acknowledged the anniversary on social media, calling the 2023 attack “abhorrent” and emphasising that Trump’s “recent proposal presents an opportunity that must be seized to bring this tragic conflict to an end.”

He added: “A permanent ceasefire and a credible political process are essential to prevent further bloodshed and pave the way for peace.”

By Aghakazim Guliyev