Talks commenced in the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh on Monday aimed at clinching a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release agreement to bring the two-year war to an end.
However, the fact that Israel’s chief negotiator, minister Ron Dermer, and the two senior US mediators, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, are not joining the discussions at this juncture, indicates that we are some days away from sealing the deal, despite the cautious optimism emanating from Israeli officials.
Talks got under as Israel announced it deported climate campaigner Greta Thunberg and another 170 activists – including 16 Irish citizens – on from the international flotilla that was intercepted by the Israeli navy last week on its way to Gaza.
The deported activists were sent to Greece and Slovakia.
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Monday’s expulsions brought to 341 the total number deported from 479 detained.
Some of the Irish citizens have told lawyers representing them how they suffered “aggressive treatment and violence” in Israeli custody, including being kicked when trying to sleep, and are now being kept in a notorious desert prison.
Israel denied claims from activists that they were subjected to inhumane conditions during their detention by Israeli authorities.
In Egypt, meanwhile, the country’s intelligence chief is overseeing the proximity talks and US president Donald Trump has made it clear he will not allow either side to drag the talks on for weeks.
Despite speculation that Mr Trump is keen for a deal before Friday, when this year’s Nobel peace prize recipient will be announced, it is likely that the 2025 winner was decided a long time ago.
[ Explainer: How close to ending is the war in Gaza?Opens in new window ]
Israel and Hamas entered the Sharm talks with fundamentally different approaches.
For Israel the main focus is on the initial stage when all 48 hostages, including the 20 believed to be alive, are due to be released within 72 hours of the sides finalising a ceasefire deal.
Hamas, realising it will lose its only bargaining chip at the beginning of the process, is seeking agreement on the other elements that will follow the hostage release, such as the withdrawal of the Israeli forces and postwar governance arrangements in the enclave.
Egyptian sources say Hamas is seeking clarification of several details, including guarantees that Israel would follow through with promises to withdraw its troops from Gaza after the hostages are released.
Israel will release some 250 Palestinian prisoners in return for the hostages along with Gaza residents seized during the war. According to Jordanian paper Al Ghad, Hamas want the list to include Marwan Barghouti, the Fatah militant leader touted to be a future Palestinian president and Ahmad Sa’adat, a former head of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP).
Tuesday marks the second anniversary of the October 7th, 2023, Hamas-led attack on southern Israel that marked the start of the war.
About 1,200 people were killed in that attack and 250 seized and taken to Gaza. More than 67,000 people have been killed in the Israeli assault on Gaza and almost the entire population of more than two million has been forced to leave their homes, many on multiple occasions. Much of Gaza has been reduced to rubble.
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) released a statement on Monday stressing its readiness to again act as an intermediary in the hostage-prisoner swaps, as it has done on previous occasions.
“The ICRC has facilitated the release of 148 hostages and 1,931 detainees since October 2023,” the statement read.
“The ICRC has also facilitated the return of human remains, allowing families to mourn their loved ones with dignity.”
“These operations are highly complex and require meticulous logistical and security planning,” the group said, noting it “stands ready to help reunite families and facilitate the delivery of aid into Gaza in a way that prioritises the safety, dignity and wellbeing of civilians.”
